Three's a Crowd
by stephfarrow94
Summary: When Tsuna discovers that Mukuro's hiding something from the rest of the Vongola, he knows he has to help. Hibari, on the other hand, soon grows jealous of all the attention the brunet is giving to the Mist Guardian. Yaoi, MukuroxTsunaxHibari 692718
1. Chapter 1

To say that Tsuna and the other Vongola Guardians had been surprised by Mukuro's release from Vendicare was an understatement. While Gokudera _hated _the blue-haired teenager with a passion, Yamamoto and Tsuna were greatly alright with the new turn of events; it just wasn't in their nature to hold such deep grudges or hate someone to the extent their Storm Guardian could.

In fact, Tsuna had taken it upon himself to visit the Kokuyo group whenever he could spare the time. Mukuro seemed to be quieter than he had been previously, but he was grateful to the brunet for having gotten him out of prison.

Currently, Tsuna was at Kokuyo Land by himself, talking to the boy the Vongola Mist had recently taken in as a student. Fran was... _different, _to say the least, but Tsuna didn't use that as an excuse to treat the younger any differently than he would someone else. While Ken and Chikusa were in town somewhere together, Mukuro was somewhere in the abandoned building – it was just a matter of waiting until he _wanted _to be found.

"Do you know why Mukuro-san isn't letting us find him?" Tsuna was kicking back on the tattered couch, a bowl of sushi in his lap. Yamamoto often made bentos for his friend to bring out to Kokuyo Land, not wanting the older male to starve.

"Ah." Fran was clumsy with chopsticks, almost as messy as Dino and Lambo were. He chewed thoughtfully on his rice before he swallowed, a hint of confusion in emerald orbs. "Last night, Master stopped training early. He said he was going to go to bed early. This morning, he started hiding in illusions. I don't know why."

Tsuna hummed as he thought over what could possibly have happened; he knew Mukuro loved his illusions more than anything in the world, and he couldn't imagine the older male suddenly stopping just to go to sleep. And then hiding...?

Had something happened? Something that Tsuna didn't know about...? But how was he supposed to help when Mukuro didn't even want to be _found? _

"Do you think Master is okay?" Fran sounded concerned. Tsuna knew that, even at his age, he understood that Mukuro's behaviour wasn't normal.

Offering a smile to the boy, Tsuna nodded. "I'm sure he'll be okay, Fran. He might just want some alone time."

"Okay." Fran turned his attention back to his food, comforted by Tsuna's words.

Tsuna's smile never faltered, just glad that the boy seemed so easily content. Now Mukuro on the other hand...

The brunet had a feeling there was something Mukuro was hiding from them all, and he could only hope it wouldn't lead to any more trouble than the older teenager had already caused.


	2. Chapter 2

When Tsuna was forced – by Reborn, of course – to call a meeting between his guardians, there were two members he hadn't expected would show up at all; Mukuro and Hibari – it certainly surprised them all to see that _both _of them had shown up.

Mukuro had been the first of the two to arrive at Tsuna's home. He had his new apprentice in tow, explaining that neither Ken nor Chikusa wanted to babysit. The other guardians – with the exception of Gokudera, of course – hadn't minded the teal-haired boy's appearance.

It was Hibari that was the problem. Upon arrival, he had grudgingly entered the younger male's bedroom, and the second his onyx eyes locked onto that familiar blue tuft, he had gone straight into fight mode. Mukuro had fought back, and while all of the guardians tried to separate them, they only stopped at Reborn's words, promising a rematch without obstructions in their own time.

Mukuro had politely accepted the Arcobaleno's words, while Hibari merely glared and took the far corner that would put as much distance between he and Mukuro as possible – as much as he hated crowding, he would much rather be with those other herbivores than Mukuro.

"Reborn thinks we should spend some more time together as friends," Tsuna had started to explain once everyone had calmed down. "He thinks it will be good for strengthening our bond. Does anyone have any suggestions for this?"

Yamamoto, as expected, laughed cheerfully as he wrapped an arm around Gokudera's shoulders. "Let's go on a baseball camp!"

Tsuna offered a small smile, never having the heart to tell Yamamoto that _he'd _be the only one who'd enjoy such a thing. "Thanks, Yamamoto, but... we'll add it to the list of ideas, alright?"

"Okay." Yamamoto's smile was as bright as ever, not even minding when Gokudera pushed him away.

"Does anyone else have any suggestions?" Tsuna couldn't help but rub the back of his head sheepishly as he declined Ryohei's offer of teaching everyone boxing. "Anyone...?"

"I don't think this is going to work," Mukuro said in a cool voice. He shrugged as everyone turned to look at him, his heterochromatic eyes showing boredom. "None of us are going to agree on anything, and there are two of us who would rather keep to ourselves instead of being stuck in a room with other people – myself included."

"Don't speak for me, herbivore, or I'll bite you to death."

Tsuna could sense another fight about to break out so, getting back to his feet, he moved to step in between them, breaking their line of sight which the brunet could almost _see _sparking. "Now, now... Maybe Mukuro-san's right and we should do this _another _way..."

"How would we do that?" Yamamoto questioned, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Maybe we should spend time with each other _separately_ – just two of us together."

"Sounds fun." Yamamoto was happy as ever. "I volunteer to be with Gokudera!"

"Hey!" Gokudera shoved at the taller male, a look of distaste on his face. "I didn't agree to this!"

"That's actually a good idea." Reborn, who had been perched on Tsuna's bed, spoke up. "Why not pair everyone up with how badly they interact as the deciding point?"

Tsuna nodded, trying to take charge over his group. "Well, then... I guess Yamamoto and Gokudera-kun definitely go together."

Yamamoto grinned as he slung his arm over the smaller male's shoulders once again. "See? Told ya, Gokudera!"

Gokudera wasn't happy at all, but if it was what the Tenth had decided, he would go along with it. He muttered something under his breath, but the Rain Guardian took no notice.

"And... Chrome and Lambo would be another pair; they get along, but it never hurts to work on stuff. Ryohei... You should join Yamamoto and Gokudera-kun; you're fine with Yamamoto, but Gokudera-kun... Hibari-san and Mukuro-san can be with me."

Hibari glared ferociously at his arch nemesis, his fingers tapping the handle of his tonfa in a warning manner. "I don't like crowding with _herbivores_. Especially pineapple herbivores."

Mukuro narrowed his eyes before he stood up, pointing accusingly at the skylark. "Watch your tongue, unless you want to lose it."

"Master..." Fran tugged on the Mist Guardian's jacket, uncomfortable with their fight; he wanted to learn _illusions _from the blue-haired teenager; not watch as he fought with the same person every time they came into contact with each other. "Master, please stop..."

Heterochromatic eyes glanced down at the apple-headed boy, an unreadable expression on his face. It took a few seconds, but Mukuro eventually sat back down, tensing when tiny arms wrapped around him.

"We'll settle it later, Kyouya..." Mukuro muttered, putting an awkward hand on top of his charge's head. Hibari nodded in agreement, unable to wait for that time to come.

Tsuna cleared his throat, gathering the attention back on him. "Anyway... That's all I really wanted to talk about, so... I guess just talk amongst yourselves about what you want to do together... Hibari-san, Mukuro-san... Please stay behind..."

Hibari was silent as he waited for the others to filter out of the room, not moving from his corner. Mukuro, likewise, stood where he was until the other guardians had left.

Tsuna was honestly nervous to be alone with his two strongest guardians, but he knew that when it came to Mukuro and Hibari, they could be like a shark that smells blood in the water if they were shown the slightest hint of fear.

"U-umm..." Tsuna smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "So... Did you guys have any idea of what you'd want to do?"

"This whole thing is stupid and was a waste of my time, herbivore." Hibari turned around, ready to leave. He stopped and swung back, his tonfa out as he felt someone grabbing his jacket. Finding Tsuna had jumped back, waving his arms in the air defensively, he knew who had done it. "Don't touch me with your herbivorous hands."

"H-hibari-san, please wait!" Tsuna knew he couldn't control Hibari, and that was something he was going to have to work on; the older male had already left, and there was no stopping him.

"Kufufu~" Mukuro had his hands on Fran's shoulders, a malicious glint in his eyes. "I concur, as much as I hate to admit it; I don't want to take part in such a silly time-waste. I, also, am going home."

"M-mukuro-san!" As much as Tsuna admired the power to change your surroundings, he hated that his Guardian could use it so easily to hide from him; both Mukuro and Fran were gone with the blink of an eye, and there was nothing he could do to stop them.

"You need better control of your guardians, No-Good Tsuna." Reborn was lazing about on the bed, a glass of iced tea in his hold. He sipped at the straw before saying, "Just because some of them respect you doesn't mean they _all _do. Change that."

"How am I meant to do that...?" Tsuna was exasperated, just wishing the older two would cooperate, at least slightly.

"Show them that you're someone to be respected, and that you respect them in turn." Reborn shrugged. "They're _your _guardians; you should know what to do with them instead of asking me."

"They don't respect _anyone, _Reborn; they do their own thing and that's all it is."

"It can change. Gokudera didn't respect you at all, and now you're all he ever thinks about."

"That's true..." Tsuna wasn't so sure Mukuro and Hibari could be won over so easily, but he _did _care about them, so he would definitely try. That's all he could do, right?

_**~~XX~~**_

"Master, are we going to practise illusions again tonight?" Having just gotten back to Kokuyo Land, the sun was starting to set and Fran was growing bored; he liked being here with Mukuro, but sometimes it got boring with nothing to do.

Mukuro had suddenly seemed fatigued halfway through their walk, growing silent and distant from the younger. Fran couldn't explain it, but the life that he was accustomed to seeing in the heterochromatic eyes had disappeared, replaced instead by a dull look.

Almost as if he had been snapped out of a stupor, the teenager blinked at his charge's voice, looking down at the boy by his side. "Pardon?"

"I asked if we were going to practise illusions again." The walk to the mainly-used rooms of Kokuyo was slow, the abandoned building too big for Fran's liking. "Can we?"

"Not tonight..." Mukuro sighed, pushing open the door to his own room. "Why don't you practise them by yourself?"

"Master, it's not as fun that way. Please?"

"No." Mukuro tossed himself into the rickety old bed tucked away in the corner, pulling the moth-eaten blankets over his skinny body. "Do it yourself."

"Master is growing more boring by the day," Fran pointed out. "Maybe I should have gone with the group of tooth decay fairies after all. I bet the fairy with the original-looking knives would have been more fun."

Mukuro ignored the younger, his mind racing. "Fran. Leave."

Fran ignored the request and stepped closer, reaching out to shake the teenager's shoulder. "C'mon, Master; just five min – ouch..."

Mukuro, as fast as lightning, had rolled himself over and slapped the boy as hard as he could, knocking Fran to the ground. He glared, his eyes hard as he grit his teeth, struggling to hold himself back from further damaging the boy.

The two illusionists looked at each other for a few minutes, their expressions unreadable. It was when the boy started tearing up, a soft hiccup escaping his lips, did Mukuro put up another illusion, hiding himself from the world. He added a second layer, blocking out Fran's cries, honestly feeling a little bad at what he had just done.

With a sigh, Mukuro closed his eyes, trying to stop the racing of his heart, the thoughts that were running rampart through his mind. His body started to shake, unable to block out the ghostly echoes he thought he had left behind.

Mukuro had long-since been accustomed to his life. He had made peace with what he had done, the lives he had taken. Hell, he could even accept the fact that he was probably one the lowest human beings to have ever walked the Earth.

But somewhere, deep inside of him, Mukuro knew a part of him was growing restless, and he didn't understand _why_; it wasn't until he had gotten out of Vendicare did he start realising something inside of him had _changed_.

The illusionist had no idea what had caused this, and he certainly didn't know how to deal with it. All he knew was that he slowly felt as if his sanity was slipping from his grasp.

_**~~XX~~**_

When Hibari went out on a 'Discipline Patrol', it was usually only so he could find petty reasons to beat the shit out of someone. Tonight, he hadn't even bothered to use his status as reason to hit someone; he was just greatly agitated and needed an outlet; he hadn't gotten his promised fight with Mukuro yet, and he was still annoyed by the brunet herbivore thinking he could get them all to _bond _together.

Hibari wasn't a social person at all. He liked his solitary life, letting few in. He was just fine with only Kusakabe by his side, the other knowing his place and not to challenge the skylark. Hell, he could even semi-tolerate that blond herbivore, Cavallone, to an extent. Tsuna and his gang were just trouble-making delinquents. And Mukuro...

Mukuro was the one person Hibari hated with every fibre of his being. He was the one person he resented enough to want to murder, and what fuelled this negative emotion was the fact that the younger person had beaten him in a fight.

Hibari was a lot of things, and a sore loser he most certainly was. But the more he thought about it, the more he wondered; was he reacting so strongly over the brunet herbivore's latest decision due to this hatred? Or was it because he was being forced into something he wanted no part in?

Or was it... because if they were forced into a three-man group, Tsuna's attention would be divided on the one he wanted to die a slow, painful death by his own hands?

Shaking his head, Hibari whacked an unsuspecting victim's head as hard as he could with his tonfa. Hibari was many things, but jealous he was _not. _


	3. Chapter 3

Tsuna stared out of the classroom window in boredom, his chin in his hand. He wasn't paying any attention to the teacher, their voice having long faded out.

The brunet was thinking of his Mist and Cloud guardians, unable to get the thought that he may not be a good enough leader for Mukuro and Hibari out of his head. He cared deeply about them, but he also couldn't deny the fact that they both scared him. That wasn't a good thing at all; how could he ever utilise them to their full potential and earn their respect if he _feared_ them?

Hibari was a loner by nature, and Mukuro seemed just as shut off from the world as the skylark. Neither of them liked socialising, and would much prefer to be by themselves. They didn't respect anyone, powerful enough in their own rights that they didn't _need _anyone. They were _much _stronger than Tsuna could give them credit for, and it was for that reason he knew they wouldn't continue to stick around if they didn't want to.

With a sigh, Tsuna dropped his head onto the desk, knowing his two strongest guardians were going to be a lot of trouble.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Are you okay, Tenth?" Gokudera's green eyes shone with concern as he walked beside the smaller male, having just left the school. "You look really spaced out today."

Yamamoto wrapped his arm around Tsuna's shoulders as he smiled, laughing softly as he did. "We should stop for some ice cream. What do you say, Tsuna?"

Tsuna smiled at his friend as he nodded, knowing Yamamoto was just trying to help in his sweet-natured ways. "Sure. Are you coming, Gokudera-kun?"

Gokudera glared at the dark-haired teenager before he nodded, wishing it was just him and the Tenth; he was stubborn and prideful, and he hated feeling as if Tsuna may suddenly like Yamamoto more than him one day.

"Ah... You two should go together." Tsuna suddenly stopped walking, offering a shy smile to his friends. "I just remembered I have something to do."

Gokudera was visibly rejected, but he didn't say anything. Yamamoto, however, was as happy as ever to spend time with the smaller male; he wrapped his arm around the silver-haired teenager's shoulders as he tugged him closer, his eyes as gentle as ever.

"Well, you did say we should spend some time together." Yamamoto was patient as he waited for Gokudera to say farewell, and once Tsuna had walked out of sight, they continued on.

"I hope you realise I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the Tenth's orders..." Gokudera shrugged the strong arm off him as he put distance between he and Yamamoto, his eyes full of annoyance.

Yamamoto just laughed again. "I know, Gokudera."

"...Well, as long as you know..."

_**~~XX~~**_

Tsuna, as much as he would have loved to spend time with his two best friends, had more important matters to attend to; he had seen Hibari patrolling the town, and though he would rather leave the skylark alone, he knew he had to talk to his Cloud Guardian and hope that, through some miracle, Hibari would soon come to accept him.

"H-hibari-san!"

Hibari turned around as he heard his name being called. He stopped walking, giving the brunet time to approach him. "What are you doing here, herbivore?"

"I..." Tsuna rubbed the back of his head, only just now realising he had really run into this without any thought as to what he wanted to say. "...I, uh..."

Gripping one of his tonfa tightly, Hibari raised it in front of him in a threatening manner. "Spit it out, herbivore; I don't have time to be wasting here with you."

"H-hibari-san..." Gulping heavily as the tonfa was brought ever closer to him, the younger male spat out the first thing to come to his mind. "Would you like to come over for dinner tonight?!"

Hibari blinked, lowering the tonfa at the question; he had never really had anyone who wanted to be near him, much less invite them over for dinner. He had Kusakabe, but... For whatever reason, the skylark had never felt as if they were friends or had anything more than a professional relationship.

"Why would I want to eat with a bunch of herbivores?" Dark eyes glared at Tsuna as Hibari still tried to comprehend what had just been asked of him; out of all people, why would_ Tsunayoshi _invite him over? The brunet was _terrified _of him – for good reason, of course – and always seemed to run the other way as soon as brown eyes caught sight of him.

So why would this have changed all of a sudden?

Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, Tsuna realised he had just dug himself into a hole he probably wouldn't be able to get himself out of – spewing the first words to come to mind, he said, "My mother and everyone else won't be home tonight, so it would just be me... I, uh... Just thought you... might like an invite... I would have asked Mukuro-san othe – Hibari-san!"

At the mention of the blue-haired teenager, Hibari whacked the smaller male over the head with his weapons, earning a squeal from the younger. He glared as he watched Tsuna creep away from him, probably wary of being hit again, but he felt nothing over the actions; all he could think about was that if _he _didn't take up this offer, that _pineapple herbivore _would be the one eating at Tsuna's table – and there was no_ way _he would lose to the younger male again in _anything_.

"I'll be there by seven, herbivore." Slipping his tonfa back into his jacket, Hibari turned around and left.

Tsuna jumped fell to his knees, staring in horror after the taller male. He had no idea what had possessed him to talk about such things – while it was true he would be home alone for dinner tonight, he had never so much as _considered _inviting Mukuro around; it had just slipped from his lips in his panic.

But it had worked, hadn't it? A chance for Tsuna to try and bond with Hibari without the presence of others to get in the way...

This should most certainly work _much _better than trying to interact with the skylark anywhere else. _Hopefully. _

_**~~XX~~**_

Tsuna was anxious as he watched the clock tick away the minutes. His stomach churned nervously as the small hand finally ticked over on seven, accompanied by the ringing of the doorbell. Well, at least Hibari had manners enough to not just let himself inside the house.

"C-coming!" Tsuna stumbled as he jumped up from his bedroom floor, flying down the stairs and only just managing to stay upright as he got the door. He opened it, a slight dishevelled appearance from his rush downstairs making him self-conscious of the fact that Hibari would probably have something to say about it.

Instead, Hibari stepped into the house in silence, his dark orbs looking around in curiosity. He wore his school uniform, as always, his jacket hanging loosely off his shoulders. There was a slight smirk to the teenager's face as he turned to observe the younger, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Aren't you going to take me to the dining room, herbivore?"

"O-oh! Y-yes! E-excuse me, Hibari-san!" Tsuna scurried away, leading his guest into the dining room. While he himself was still wearing his school uniform, thinking it would probably have better results than wearing casual clothing around Hibari as the skylark did like school more than anything, he also wondered if Hibari would put his opinion out there and for one reason or another 'bite him to death'.

Hibari followed calmly, taking in his surroundings as he did so. He could see how nervous the younger was, but he didn't care; all that mattered was that _he _was here instead of the _other _potential guest. His hands clenched at the thought, not knowing why it bothered him so much to know that Tsuna and Mukuro spent time together.

The dining room was more than the skylark had expected, but the food on the table made him crinkle his nose up in distaste; it looked as if an _amateur _had cooked it – and knowing Tsunayoshi, it _was_ made by an amateur.

"You don't expect me to eat that, herbivore." Dark eyes fixed on Tsuna, seeing the way the younger trembled. "Do you?"

"I-I'm sorry, Hibari-san! I just... I've never really had to cook before, and... I didn't know what you liked, so I tried to make a range, but..." Tsuna sighed as he looked down at the ground, tensing as the other came closer to him. To his surprise, Hibari simply stepped past him and over to the fridge.

"You really _are _No-Good Tsuna." Taking a leftover bowl of rice from the shelf, Hibari put it on the counter as he moved to find other ingredients he could cook with.

Tsuna just watched, unable to believe that _Hibari _was here, in his _kitchen, _cooking _dinner _for them both. He felt _bad _over the fact he had let his guest down, but he had _truly _tried his hardest to make something decent; it just... hadn't turned out the way he would have liked.

Clearing the first attempt at dinner from the table, Tsuna scrapped it in the bin before neatly stacking the dishes in the dishwasher. He wanted to help Hibari with what he was doing, but he was certain that, not only would he get in the way, the older male would decline the offer anyway.

As hard as Tsuna had tried, he hadn't been able to treat Hibari well, and he wasn't sure he'd _ever _understand why the skylark was still here. He didn't question it, however, not wanting the Prefect to leave just yet – not until they had at least had a chance to _somewhat _get along.

_**~~XX~~**_

"This is really good, Hibari-san." Tsuna smiled appreciatively at his Cloud Guardian, the sushi Hibari had prepared tasting just as good as it did at Yamamoto's restaurant. "Where did you learn to cook like this?"

Hibari sent a cold look to the younger, his own chopsticks elegantly approaching his mouth. He took a bite of dinner and swallowed it before he replied. "I got used to it."

"Used to it?" Tsuna frowned, not understanding what the other meant by this; had Hibari been cooking for himself for a while now? But why? As far as the brunet knew, the skylark _did _have a family, and he _did _live with his parents. So... Why had he gotten used to cooking?

Hibari shrugged. He ate some more before clearing his previous statement up. "I have to cook for my family. I taught myself how to do it."

"Why can't _they _cook?" Tsuna didn't think of the possibility he was probably treading on forbidden territory here, so when he was shot a dark glance, he quickly shut up. "S-sorry, Hibari-san..."

Hibari didn't reply to this; he instead closed his eyes as he continued to eat his dinner. Tsuna wasn't sure how he was supposed to talk to someone like Hibari, but he didn't want the other to get bored.

"Umm..." Glancing to the side, Tsuna smiled nervously as he tried to take a different approach. "I, uhh... I think you cook very well, Hibari-san..."

"As expected." Hibari rolled his eyes, his attention drifting to his surroundings once more. "You have never cooked before?"

Shaking his head, Tsuna hoped he hadn't brought up a personal topic for the skylark. "My mother does everything around the house; I've never had to cook before."

"My mother was once like that." A distant look crossed Hibari's eyes before he shook his head, snapping himself out of his train of thought. "Not anymore, though..."

"S-sorry..." Tsuna looked down, not sure of why he was apologising; it just seemed apt to hear that kind of thing from someone who you were completely terrified of. "I didn't..."

Hibari smirked as he twirled his chopsticks in his hand. "You think I'm going to bite you to death for hearing something I mentioned myself? You're almost amusing, herbivore. I'll let this one slide; you didn't know. But for future reference; do_ not _think of me as weak – my family situation is none of your business, or anyone else's, and it has done nothing to damage me. If anything, it's what has made me so strong."

Tsuna nodded, knowing he was _very _lucky to have come out of this with what he had; he was sure that if it were anyone else, they'd have already been hit by the tonfa. "H-hibari-san... I've _never _thought of you as weak, and I _never _will... I just want you to know that..."

"Keep it that way." Pushing his bowl away from him, Hibari stood up. His dark eyes fixed on the younger, an unreadable expression on his face. "I've finished my meal. Will your mother be home tomorrow night?"

"No..." Tsuna whispered, ashamed to notice he had barely made a dent in his sushi; Hibari sure was one fast eater.

"Hn. _Don't _invite the pineapple herbivore over again." With that said, Hibari was gone.

Tsuna could only blink after his guest, still not sure what had happened. Was it just him, or... had Hibari actually been _friendly _for once?

Rubbing at his eyes, the brunet wondered if he had fallen asleep upstairs and if this was all a dream.

_**~~XX~~**_

Hibari hated stepping into his home. It was always so silent, his mother locked away in her bedroom as she withered away in her bed, too depressed to drag herself out of it for once. He had no idea where his father was, but knowing the man, he was probably out sleeping with as many chicks as he could pick up after downing however many bottles of alcohol at the local pub. Hibari didn't care where he was; as far as he was concerned, his father had no place in his life – not when the man was rarely ever home and, if he was, only had cruel words to spout to his son and wife.

Crossing the hallway to his bedroom silently, Hibari entered his bedroom. Hibird flew down from his perch, nestling in his onyx hair, chirping away happily. With a sigh, the teenager just threw himself down on the bed, not knowing what to think. He didn't know what on Earth had possessed him to so much as take up the herbivore's offer, let alone _cook_, but...

How long had it been since Hibari had felt the warmth of a loving family? He couldn't recall the last time he had had someone to eat his dinner with, and to talk about his day to. He hadn't had anyone to laugh with for years, and in the deepest recesses of his mind, he knew it was something he missed.

Hibari didn't know what had happened for his family to change so drastically; just that he had changed along with it.

"Hibird..." Not bothering to change into pyjamas, Hibari closed his eyes as he let sleep wash over him.

Whatever his reasoning had been for having dinner with the Sawada herbivore, he couldn't say it was something he regretted; after living in solitude for so long, it was... somewhat _nice _to have eaten with someone else at the dinner table for once.

Not to mention Hibari had gotten in between Tsuna and that pineapple. Oh, how Hibari _hated _that pineapple with a _passion. _


	4. Chapter 4

Within the week that had passed, Tsuna had more often than not found Hibari at his front door, waiting to be let in before immediately heading to the kitchen, cooking a most delicious meal. Hibari never stayed for long, and he didn't talk about much in particular; he seemed to be used to the silence and didn't wish to break it. He had brought Kusakabe with him once or twice, and while he and Tsuna conversed, the skylark just kept to himself.

Tsuna didn't go as far as labelling them as friends just yet, as much as he would have loved to; he knew Hibari didn't think of people as his friends so easily. The brunet had a sneaking suspicion his guest just didn't want Mukuro to be there instead, and was going to whatever lengths it took to make sure he didn't come second to the blue-haired teenager in what he probably viewed as a competition for the brunet's respect or something of the sort.

However, as much as Tsuna would have liked it, his relationship with Hibari hadn't changed in the slightest outside of dinnertimes; he was still threatened by the older male, almost too afraid to continue telling him what to do. Tsuna knew he had to fix this as soon as he could, but he was still working on it.

"You two are both idiots."

Tsuna was snapped out of his daydreaming at Gokudera's voice, blinking at the older male as they walked through the town together; school had recently finished for the day, and instead of going straight home, he, Gokudera, Yamamoto and Ryohei had decided to hang out for a while in order to work on their friendship – Tsuna hadn't been joking when he said he wanted everyone to get along better.

It seemed that whatever Ryohei and Yamamoto had been talking about was an annoyance to Gokudera, and the silver-haired male hadn't been able to resist giving his own thoughts on the matter.

"Now, Gokudera-kun, you shouldn't talk to them that way." Tsuna was gentle as he tried to scold his best friend, knowing it was just in Gokudera's nature to be agitated easily.

"But, Tenth, all they're talking about is sports, and it's..." Gokudera quickly shut up as the smaller male sent him a soft look, knowing he shouldn't argue with his boss like that. "Sorry, Tenth..."

"It's okay, Gokudera-kun, but instead of telling them they're idiots, why not ask to talk about something else instead?" The Vongola Decimo regarded Ryohei and Yamamoto with kind eyes. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind talking about something that interests you."

Yamamoto laughed. "Why didn't you say so, Gokudera? What do _you _want to talk about?"

A red tint crossed Gokudera's face at the question, having not expected this turnaround. "...I..."

Yamamoto's happy smile was plastered on his face as he waited patiently for the silver-haired male to think of something, while Ryohei hummed to himself as he considered his conversation about sports with Yamamoto; he loved talking to the younger male as the dark-haired teenager was really the only one who shared his love for sport.

While Gokudera tapped at his chin, still trying to come up with something to talk about, the four continued walking. Tsuna was just glad the two sports enthusiasts were considerate of the smaller male, willing to change the topic to include him; he felt so lucky to have the friends he did.

As they walked, Tsuna wasn't really focused on anything but his friends, so it came as a surprise when a familiar voice called out to them. Gokudera sneered as he found the younger Kokuyo members approaching them, instinctively reaching down to grab one of his explosives.

"What's wrong?" Tsuna recognised the annoyed look on Ken and Chikusa's faces, and he wondered what could be bothering them; it wasn't like the two to approach Vongola members without Mukuro by their sides.

"Yeah, you can start by telling Kakipi and me where Mukuro-sama is, byon." Ken's dark eyes shone with annoyance as he regarded the brunet. "He hasn't been around for two days now and he never said he was going anywhere."

"Maybe he's just getting time out?" Tsuna suggested, knowing it was probably normal for Mukuro to disappear – his blond subordinate was most certainly attached, and always overreacted when it came to the older teenager. "I'm sure it's nothing."

"He left that brat with us and hasn't come back," Chikusa said quietly, fingering the rim of his glasses. "We don't know where he could be."

"Mukuro-san can look after himself, so –"

"Why are you taking this so lightly, byon?!" Ken snapped, his sharp teeth visible. "Mukuro-sama could be _anywhere! _Some boss _you _are!"

"Don't insult the Tenth, dog-breath!" Gokudera snapped, moving to stand in front of Tsuna. "We don't know where that stupid pineapple is, so it's not _our _problem!"

"Gokudera-kun..." Tsuna wasn't very scared of Ken and Chikusa; he knew they were both overprotective of Mukuro, the teenager having been the one to get them away from their family when they were children – it was understandable they were worried about losing the illusionist, after all. "Gokudera-kun, it's okay; they're just worried. Ken-san, I'm worried about Mukuro-san, too, but as I said, he can look after himself. I don't know where he could be, but if I find him, I'll be sure to send him back to Kokuyo."

Ken glared with distrust in his eyes while Chikusa nodded at the two. "Thank you. Come on, Ken."

Ken followed his friend through the streets, glancing back at the Vongola as he did so; Tsuna knew the blond was just as untrusting of the mafia as Mukuro was, but he couldn't blame them; he would _never _understand the things they had been put through at their own family's hands.

"Do you think Mukuro's alright?" Yamamoto's smile had vanished, replaced instead by a concerned frown.

Tsuna smiled softly as he nodded, patting the taller male's arm. "I'm sure he's fine, Yamamoto. There's nothing we can do when we don't even know where he could be."

Yamamoto nodded, smiling again as he turned back to the other two, continuing on the conversation they had been holding before they were interrupted.

_**~~XX~~**_

With a sigh, Tsuna sat down in front of the TV in the living room. Reborn was by his side as the news played, the Arcobaleno's reasoning that it 'was good to know what was happening in the world'. Tsuna would have much rather watch something else, but he didn't complain; it had already been a long day, and it was good to kick back and relax for once.

There wasn't much on the news that interested Tsuna, and his attention started wandering – that was, until a familiar name caught his attention, and he was looking at the ruins of somewhere _very _familiar to him; according to the news, a fire had broken out at Kokuyo Land, demolishing the buildings.

Reborn looked at Tsuna, waiting for the brunet's reaction. "Well, No-Good Tsuna?"

Tsuna bit his lip as understanding hit him like a ton of bricks; if Ken and Chikusa had been looking for Mukuro, and Fran wasn't with them... He must still have been at Kokuyo Land.

"Only fools would leave alone an inexperienced illusionist with nothing to amuse his mind." Reborn shook his head. "Especially when said illusionist has the gloves to turn his illusions into reality."

There was no mention of anyone being caught in the blaze, but Tsuna didn't care; he had no idea what had happened to Fran, if he had been there when the fire started or if he had gotten hurt.

Jumping to his feet, Tsuna ran from the living room and out of the house, knowing he had to get to Kokuyo Land as fast as he could; if Ken and Chikusa were still out looking for Mukuro...

Shaking his head, Tsuna was terrified of what he would find upon arrival.

_**~~XX~~**_

To the brunet's relief, there didn't seem to be any authorities around Kokuyo Land by the time he had arrived, so it was easy enough treading his way through the mess; the buildings had collapsed, leaving burnt structures and debris on the ground. He called out continuously for Fran, knowing it would be too dangerous for him to enter what was left of the building the small group had called home.

"Fran?!" Tsuna weaved his way through the burnt patches of trees, knowing Fran may have attempted to run to safety and then hide himself away from everyone else that had come. "Fran, where are you?!"

"Tsunayoshi..."

Tsuna turned at his name, finding the two missing illusionists approaching him. Mukuro was carrying Fran in his arms, the two covered in ash with a few burns here and there on their bodies. Heavy bags were under heterochromatic eyes, and his green jacket was wrapped firmly around Fran.

"Tsunayoshi, why are you here...?" Mukuro sounded exhausted, a hint of confusion in his voice.

Tsuna didn't hesitate to answer. "Because when I heard about what had happened, I worried Fran, or even_ all _of you might have been caught in the fire. Is everyone alright?"

"Ken and Chikusa are still out somewhere. Fran is just in shock, but he should be okay." Mukuro looked down at the boy in his arms, tightening his hold on the younger.

"Ken and Chikusa said you've been missing," the brunet explained. "How come you're back so soon?"

"I never left Kokuyo; I just didn't allow them to know of my presence." With a sigh, Mukuro shrugged. "It seems that Fran became bored and tried to practise illusions by himself in my... 'absence'. So much talent, but not enough skill to control it all..."

Tsuna frowned; Reborn had been right when he hinted at the fire being Fran's fault. "What are you going to do now? Do you have anywhere else to go?"

Mukuro shook his head. "Nowhere. It won't matter, though; we'll work something out."

"Come over to my house." Tsuna didn't mean to sound so demanding, but he was adamant in making sure the two illusionists had a roof over their heads and somewhere safe to sleep.

"No, Tsunayoshi." The older male tensed at this suggestion, almost as if he didn't trust the brunet.

"Please, Mukuro-san; you just lost your home and have nowhere else to go – I _know _you don't trust mafia, but... How many times have I made it clear I really didn't want this position in the first place? Mukuro-san, I_ still _don't want it, but... what am I supposed to do? Give it to someone like _Xanxus_? Please... Even if you won't trust the mafia, please trust _me _as a person; I wouldn't hurt you."

"If we couldn't even trust our own_ family, _how are we supposed to trust _you_?" A sneer crossed Mukuro's face as he took a few steps back, putting distance between them. "You got me out of prison – fair enough – but that doesn't change the fact that you're still the Vongola Decimo. I would rather sleep out in the cold than allow myself to sleep in your home."

"Mukuro-san... You have _Fran_! You can't... just leave him outside and expect him to be _fine! _What if something's wrong with him, and you haven't even realised it? He could be hurt, or upset about what had happened! You're supposed to be the one looking after him! He _trusts _you, Mukuro-san!"

"Why would he trust _me _of all people, Tsunayoshi? That's ridiculous."

"He has no family anymore; you took him from his grandmother, brought him into a life he probably doesn't even want in the first place, and right now, you're all he has; he has no _choice _but to trust you, Mukuro-san...!"

Mukuro frowned down at the unconscious boy in his arms, knowing that while Tsuna had a point, it wasn't that easy trusting others.

But Fran... Fran needed someone to look after him and keep him out of trouble, and Mukuro really wasn't cut out for this job.

"..._You _take him, then." Mukuro handed the boy over to the younger, a slight hiss in his voice. "I need to find Ken and Chikusa. If there's so much as a threat towards us, we'll be leaving, Tsunayoshi."

"Mukuro-san, if you really must, you can keep illusions up all night if that's what will make you feel safer," Tsuna compromised, hugging Fran close to him. He noticed that the apple illusion was gone – the boy probably too weak to keep it up in his oblivious state – and a tuft of hair spiked up towards the back, similar to Mukuro's. "I don't want you to be out on the streets, but I certainly don't want you to feel uncomfortable around me, either."

Mukuro stared with a distrustful look before he turned around to leave, heading off to find his two friends. Tsuna sighed as he carried Fran away from Kokuyo Land, wondering if he should take the boy to a hospital or not; he was just involved in a fire, and even though he didn't look too bad, who knew how much smoke he had ingested?

Mukuro wasn't the best babysitter, but that didn't mean _Tsuna _had to be, as well – not when he genuinely cared for the boy's safety.

_**~~XX~~**_

After having gotten Fran a check-up at the hospital and the boy was deemed well enough to not be admitted, Tsuna had taken him straight home. He had brought the younger up to his bedroom, resting Fran on his bed as he moved to bring in a heap of blankets from the linen closet.

Pulling spare futons in next, Tsuna made up four beds on the floor, trying to put them as far away from his bed as possible; he suspected the Kokuyo gang would be more uncomfortable the closer they were, so he tried his hardest to make them feel safe.

Fran was still out to it as he was laid down on one of the futons, a small cough escaping his lips as he was tucked in tightly. He mumbled Mukuro's name before he coughed again, his tiny fingers grabbing the blanket and holding it tightly.

Moving to lay back down on his own bed, Tsuna waited patiently for the others to arrive. He didn't know how long they'd be, and he couldn't help but fall asleep before they had even arrived; it had been such a long night, the brunet just couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.

Tsuna was unaware of his bedroom door opening an hour later, three other teenagers stepping warily into the room. He missed the way they watched him carefully before they flicked the light off, treading the ground carefully as they made their way to the futons.

Ken and Chikusa took the two farthest from Tsuna, leaving Mukuro to sleep in between Fran and Ken. While the younger two didn't take long to fall asleep, Mukuro instead struggled, the stress he was going through too much for him.

"Master...?"

Mukuro looked towards where he had heard Fran's voice come from, reaching out to smooth dirty teal hair. "Shh... Sleep, Fran..."

The teenager tensed as he felt the tiny body press against his, but he didn't pull away; he instead clawed at his face as he struggled to hold back the severity of his stress; letting a single tear slip down his pale cheek, heterochromatic eyes shut tight as a loud sob escaped Mukuro's throat. He sincerely hoped no one had heard him, hating to be seen as weak, but there was only so much one could handle in their short lives.

When sleep did eventually come to Mukuro, his nightmares were worse than usual; along with the ghostly voices of his past, pain he had once been forced to endure, there was fire he had only just managed to escape with his life.

What Mukuro would never know was that, sometime during his nightmares, his whimpers and cries had woken Tsuna from a restful sleep, the brunet feeling as if he was coming to understand just a little bit more about his Mist Guardian – with a past as horrid as Mukuro's, it was no wonder that group of teenagers had turned out the way they had.


	5. Chapter 5

When Tsuna woke the next morning, he found Ken and Chikusa sitting on the futons together, talking quietly amongst themselves while Mukuro and Fran continued to sleep, the boy curled in against the teenager's front.

"How long have you two been awake for?" Tsuna asked as he pushed the blankets off his body, sitting up in the bed.

Ken shot a distrustful look towards the brunet, leaving Chikusa to reply. "A while. Mukuro-sama seems to be exhausted."

"Do you want any breakfast?" Tsuna offered, knowing to be a good host towards the others – they had just lost their home, after all.

"We're not going anywhere without Mukuro-sama, byon!" Ken argued, a hostile tone crossing his voice. "How do we know you won't do something to him in his sleep?!"

The smaller male frowned as he tilted his head, a hurt look crossing his eyes. "I wouldn't do anything to him, Ken... Besides, if I was going to hurt him, wouldn't I have done it last night?"

"You mafia are all the same!" The blond spat. He leant towards Mukuro, almost in a possessive manner, shielding the older male with his body. "The only reason Kakipi and I even came here in the _first _place is because Mukuro-san told us we had to!"

Nodding his head, Tsuna knew there was no point in getting his guests worked up; not when they were probably stressed enough as it was. "I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable. I'm going downstairs for breakfast, but you're welcome to do whatever you please.

Ken mumbled something to himself as he looked away, folding his arms stubbornly against his chest as he did so. Chikusa just pushed his glasses further up his nose as he nodded, much more polite than his friend.

Sparing one last glance for the two sleeping males, Tsuna left the room and headed downstairs. His mother greeted him cheerfully, as did the other occupants of the house, but the brunet woman was the first to ask about his 'friends'.

"Did they sleep alright?" Nana had a soft smile on her face as she placed a plate before her son.

"I think so." Tsuna smiled appreciatively up at his mother as he started digging in to his meal, only to have some of his rice stolen by Reborn. "Oi, Reborn!"

"You're too slow, No-Good Tsuna." Reborn jumped back to his own seat, munching away on his stolen prize. "It seems you got Mukuro to trust you, even if only a little."

"What? No, I didn't; Mukuro-san will probably _never _trust me." Tsuna sighed at his own words, looking down at his food. "He just... doesn't trust people..."

"He's in your house, isn't he?" the Arcobaleno pointed out. "Sleeping in your bedroom, to be exact. Did you even _consider _this may happen?"

"...No... But, Reborn, he's only here because he has nowhere else to go...!"

Shaking his head, Reborn whacked his chopsticks over the brunet's head hard enough to break them. "He's here because he somehow found it in himself to trust you wouldn't hurt him or his friends. Whether or not he was just too tired to truly care anymore is irrelevant; he trusted you with Fran while he went to gather the other two and bring them here. I'm sure, deep down, he somewhat trusts you – you _did _get him out of prison, after all – but his hate and distrust of the mafia in general is what causes him to doubt you."

Tsuna chewed at his lip, knowing that Reborn was probably right. But hadn't something been wrong with Mukuro _before _the fire? He had been acting weird, and even _Fran _knew something wasn't right. Why would Mukuro trust him _now_ of all times?

"Instead of confusing yourself with questions you don't know the answer to, maybe you should be a good host, No-Good Tsuna."

"Huh?" Looking over to the doorway, Tsuna jumped in surprise as he found the quartet standing by the dining room door, Mukuro in the lead as his heterochromatic eyes observed his surroundings warily. "M-mukuro-san!"

Bowing his head in submission, Mukuro directed his question to Nana. He spoke in a quiet voice, and it sounded almost defeated to Tsuna. "May we eat...?"

"Oh, of course!" Nana smiled brightly to herself as she organised more chairs around the table. While Bianchi sat at the one end of the table, Ken and Chikusa took the unoccupied right side, sitting by their lonesome as Mukuro sat closest to Tsuna, Fran in between him and Lambo. "Here you go. Eat up; it's fresh."

Mukuro seemed hesitant to eat as he regarded his sushi-themed meal, though Ken and Chikusa ate without complaints. Fran seemed more curious about everyone around him, staring with his emerald eyes as small coughs escaped his lips every now and then.

Everyone seemed caught up in their own conversations, it was only Reborn and Tsuna who noticed that, though minutes had ticked by on the clock, Mukuro still had yet to so much as touch his food.

Leaning forward, Tsuna asked quietly, "Why aren't you eating?"

Mukuro jumped, almost as if he had been caught off-guard by the younger. His heterochromatic eyes blinked before he shook his head, forcing a playful grin that didn't reach his eyes onto his face.

"I simply do not feel the best, Tsunayoshi." Pushing his plate of food away, Mukuro got to his feet. "I wasn't hungry in the first place; I just knew that Ken, nor Chikusa, would have come down for food if I hadn't brought them. May I borrow your shower?"

Tsuna stood up as well, not surprised in the least when Fran launched himself from his chair, wrapping tiny arms around Mukuro's leg as he stared up at Tsuna with a blank gaze. He watched Mukuro pat the youngest's head lazily before he started walking, prompting the brunet into leading the way.

"Why don't you go back and finish your breakfast, Fran?" Mukuro asked once the three had stopped outside of the bathroom. "I won't be long in here."

"Pineapple-Master might drown if he's left without supervision." Fran lifted his arms into the air, a silent request to be picked up. Mukuro frowned and narrowed his eyes at the comment, but he did as requested anyway and held Fran against his chest.

"Do you want me to take him back to the dining room?" the Vongola Decimo offered. He reached out for the boy, waiting for a reply.

"Please." The older teenager attempted to hand Fran over, but he was quickly left with no choice once frail arms wrapped around his neck, small legs hugging his sides tightly. Sighing, he instead said, "Will you sit down and mind your own business, Fran?"

Fran nodded, relaxing now that he knew he wasn't going to be parted from the older male; he had always been clingy to the blue-haired teen, quite liking him more than he had his grandmother, and now, after having been saved by his guardian from a raging fire, Fran wasn't sure he wanted to be away from Mukuro for long – what if something else arose he needed saving from?

"I won't be long, Tsunayoshi..." Disappearing into the bathroom, Mukuro was careful to lock the door behind him. He closed the toilet lid and sat Fran on it, grabbing a rubber ducky from the sink and passing it to the younger. "Entertain yourself, please, Fran."

Turning his back to the boy, Mukuro slid his Kokuyo jacket from his body. He folded it neatly before placing it on the sink, knowing that without anything to change into, he needed to keep his clothes dry so he could get new ones.

The mist-patterned shirt came off next, and it, too, was added to the pile. Mukuro flinched as he caught sight of his body in the mirror, squeezing his eyes shut tight as he willed memories out of his mind. He shifted uncomfortably as he noticed Fran looking at him, wishing the boy would divert his gaze to something – _anything! _– else; no one needed to see the scars that covered his body – hell, no one needed to know they _existed! _

"Did you fall into a field of knives or something, Master?" Fran questioned, hugging the rubber ducky tight as his emerald orbs explored the older male's torso. "Oh, I know; that creepy fairy with the original-looking knives must have thrown his knives at you, too. How do you think that fairy sees, anyway?" Dropping the bath toy to his lap, Fran tugged teal strands in front of his eyes, trying to imagine how the Varia Storm could possibly see through his long bangs.

Mukuro just shook his head, knowing Fran had no idea, and there was no _way _he was explaining things to the kid – not when he could hardly handle it himself.

Instead, using an illusion to coat his body, Mukuro said, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Fran blinked before he shrugged. He picked his new toy up again, putting his attention back onto it. "If Master wants to play that way, he shouldn't pretend I'm stupid enough to fall for an illusion when I know what I saw. Master should have just used an illusion in the first place, and maybe I wouldn't have known."

In Mukuro's tired state, he _hated _how a seven-year-old could be one step ahead of him – why_ hadn't _he used an illusion beforehand? Why had he allowed himself to see the reminders of his past, and to reflect on it? A prodigy like Mukuro Rokudo should have known better than an inexperienced brat like Fran.

"Don't say a word about it, Fran."

"If the pineapple says so, I guess I can do that."

"..."

With a sigh, Mukuro dropped his white jeans to the floor next. He put them away, checking over his body once to make sure his illusion hid every imperfection on him, before he reached out with now-shaking hands – when had they started to shake in the first place, Mukuro wondered – to turn on the shower taps.

Mukuro tensed as the water cascaded down into the bottom of the shower, memories he shouldn't have in the first place playing through his mind; years of isolation in a water tank, nothing but his mental links keeping him sane. Memories of his depleted body, a weak version of himself Mukuro _knew _he was lucky to have escaped in this timeline. He could remember the agonising boredom, the hell of not being able to move even if he wanted to – all day every day, restraints wrapped tightly around his body, not letting even an inch of him move by will power.

The teenager could remember what it was like to know he was going insane – more so than he already was – and he didn't need memories of a future that would no longer happen to know this; the time he had spent in the Water Prison in this time alone was enough to have driven him to the brink of insanity he would probably never return from.

It wasn't just the fact that he had his humanity stripped away from him inch-by-inch; it was the fact that, with absolutely _nothing _to stimulate his already-damaged mind, there had been plenty of time to reflect on things Mukuro wanted to remember _nothing _about. He had _never _wanted to relive his past as if it was happening again before his eyes; he didn't want to remember the agonising pain he had been put through, or the cruel things that had been done to his mind and body.

Before he had been captured and treated as a human fish, Mukuro had been able to somewhat forget the things he had been through, if not the burning resentment he felt towards the ones who had done those things to him and his friends. But now... Having had nothing better to do than think about it...

The feelings of insanity Mukuro thought he had long-since left behind continuously crept up on him, the idea that he was weak and pathetic for allowing himself to be so affected by something others had done. He had never been one to indulge in self-pity before, but... Now, he was struggling to focus on anything _but _the things he had been through.

"Master?"

Staring at the steady stream of water, Mukuro felt his mouth going dry as ghostly whispers played through his mind, unable to shake the idea that if he stepped into that shower, he'd lose the little sanity he had left, that he'd be back in prison before he knew it.

Just _looking _at the water droplets made Mukuro's heart speed up, his legs go weak and his body start to shake. His breathing had picked up, and he couldn't help but feel lightheaded and dizzy. All of a sudden, everything went black.

"Master!"

_**~~XX~~**_

When heterochromatic eyes next opened, the first thing Mukuro saw was Ken's face close enough to his, he could feel the other's hot breath against his lips.

"Ken..." Mukuro reached out, pushing his friend away. He blinked a few times, ignoring the blond teenager gushing about how worried he had been, confused as to why he was in a most comfortable bed. "Where am I...?"

"I, uh..." Tsuna stepped into the older male's view, a nervous look on his face, "...I put you in my bed because... You, well... hit your head pretty hard, and I thought you might be more comfortable here..."

Now that Tsuna mentioned it... Mukuro's head _was _throbbing. Reaching up to run fingers through blue locks, the illusionist frowned as he felt the unmistakable material of a bandage wrapped tightly around his head. He started tugging on it, only to have Ken howl a loud protest and shoot forward, taking his friend's hand away from the fabric.

"Mukuro-sama, don't take it off!" Ken pleaded, a tone of concern in his voice. "You'll open the wound again!"

"Wound...?" Mukuro sighed as he let his eyes slip closed, not remembering much; all he remembered was feelings of panic, and then... "What happened...?"

"That little brat came running out, saying there was blood everywhere!" Ken couldn't help but make it more dramatic than it had been; Fran _had _been worried when he had come out into the dining room to seek help, but all he had said was that Mukuro had fallen and hit his head – not that there was blood everywhere. "The stupid Vongola and his mum brought you up here and cleaned you up."

"You should take it easy for a while, Mukuro-san..." Tsuna reached out, putting tentative fingers on the Mist Guardian's shoulder. "Your head was bleeding pretty bad, but we didn't think you'd appreciate being taken to a hospital."

"I wouldn't have, no..." Mukuro was quiet as he agreed, surprised that Tsuna knew that much about him; he honestly wouldn't have expected the younger to know _anything _about him. "...Where's the futon...? I don't... need to be in here..."

"Mukuro-sama, my mattress is much more comfortable than the futons, and I _really _don't mind," Tsuna tried to comfort. "I just want you to be okay."

A sneer crossed Mukuro's face as he cracked his red eye open, staring into brown orbs. "Do not think of me as weak, Tsunayoshi... I am far from it..."

"I-I'm sorry, Mukuro-san... I didn't mean to come across as that..."

"...It's okay... Where's Fran?"

"He's out in the yard, playing with the babies." Tsuna offered a shy smile to the illusionist. "He was pretty worried about you. He wanted to stay and make sure you're okay, but we didn't think you'd want that."

"..." Again, Tsuna was right on the mark as to how Mukuro felt. Turning his head to the side, Mukuro sighed. "...Indeed... Please, let me rest a bit more... Ken... Chikusa... Do leave me alone for a while..."

Ken looked visibly dejected, his metaphorical tail between his legs as he sulked, but knowing better than to argue with Mukuro when the older teenager was in this state. Chikusa just nodded as he moved away from the bed, pulling Ken from the room with him.

Tsuna stayed a minute longer, saying, "If you need anything, Mukuro-san, I'll keep coming up to check on you."

"..." Mukuro didn't understand the kindness he was being shown in this moment, but he didn't question it; he was just too exhausted. "...Thank you..."

"It's okay." Tsuna left the room, leaving the door open a crack behind him. At the bottom of the stairs, Reborn was waiting.

"Didn't I tell you he's starting to trust you?" the baby asked, a knowing tone in his voice.

"Oh, I'm sure he's just too tired to be a bother." Tsuna waved a dismissive hand before he walked past Reborn, going to check on Fran and the babies to make sure they hadn't gotten themselves into trouble. To his relief, the three of them were playing tag in the backyard, no trouble out of them just yet. "You're looking in to this too deeply, Reborn; Mukuro-san's just not in the mood to argue."

"We'll see, No-Good Tsuna."

Whether or not Reborn was right wasn't the thing on Tsuna's mind; he could hardly forget the image of a scar-covered Mukuro passed out on his bathroom floor, a small pool of blood around his head.

Tsuna wasn't sure he'd ever forget something like that, but all that mattered was that Mukuro seemed to be okay.  
"Those scars, on the other hand... Tsuna had a feeling Mukuro would _hate _to know he had seen them.


	6. Chapter 6

Within the week that had passed by, Mukuro had been living with Tsuna. Fran had stayed as well, but Ken and Chikusa had eventually been coaxed into finding an apartment to stay in as it was no secret both of them were uncomfortable here, and Tsuna didn't have room for everyone. For reasons no one but Mukuro knew, the blue-haired teenager had opted to stay with the Vongola Decimo instead. Tsuna, of course, didn't mind; he felt better knowing that his Mist Guardian was somewhere he could be helped if he needed it.

As Tsuna had discovered, Mukuro was quite a polite person when he wanted to be; he understood that Nana had no idea of the mafia world and instead believed her son was nothing but a hapless student who was always out with his friends. The illusionist could respect her, and truth be told, he kind of liked having someone there to dote upon him in a way that wasn't flat-out annoying and unwelcome like M.M's attention was; Nana was like the mother he had never had, and it made him feel warm to be cooked such delicious meals on a daily basis and have his head injury tended to when it needed it.

Fran also greatly liked Nana, having lost his own parents not all that long ago in an accident – the main reason Mukuro had kept the little brat by his side instead of forcing him on Chikusa and Ken; he wasn't cruel enough to deprive the teal-haired boy of love he probably missed more than anything.

Currently, Tsuna was sitting in his bedroom with the two illusionists on his bed, watching the TV as the brunet did homework. Yamamoto and Gokudera were still on their way out, and Reborn seemed to have disappeared somewhere.

Tsuna didn't mind; his guests were always quiet – at least, Mukuro was; Fran just didn't seem to know when to shut up and always had an endless barrage of snarky comments to throw at people.

With a sigh, Tsuna dropped his pen to the desk as he reached up to ruffle at his hair, frustrated over the fact he didn't understand most of these mathematical questions. "Reborn...! Why'd you have to leave _now _when I _need _you...?"

Mukuro blinked at the younger's voice, his attention grabbed from the anime he had been watching. He looked over at the Vongola Sky, his playful smirk as wide as ever.

"Would you like some help, Tsunayoshi?" The blue-haired teenager tilted his head as Tsuna froze at the question, soft laughter escaping his lips. "Kufufu~"

"U-umm..." Dark eyes avoided heterochromatic ones as he shook his head, not wanting to tell the older male he felt uncomfortable about accepting help on his homework from someone who had been intent on destroying him and his friends. "It's okay, Mukuro-san; Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto should be here any minute now, and – hiee! M-mukuro-san, it really _is _okay!"

Tsuna was horrified by the fact that, despite his protesting, Mukuro had completely disregarded it and instead stood up, making his way over to the desk. His eyes widened as the taller teen took the pen and the sheet of homework from the desk, not knowing if he could trust Mukuro in this moment or not; he wouldn't put it past the other to purposely teach him everything wrong and cause him to fail more than he already would – Mukuro had a sense of humour like that.

"How can you not understand this?" Heterochromatic eyes stared deep into brown ones, an amused look in the orbs. Mukuro pointed to the first question, an algebraic question. "This is one of the easiest mathematical questions I've ever seen."

"..." Tsuna frowned, hating that Mukuro – albeit probably unintentionally in his surprise – was putting him down like this; just because he didn't understand a stupid algebra question, Mukuro didn't need to rub the fact that he was smarter in the brunet's face. "...I'm not very good at maths... Really, I can wait for Yamamoto and Gokudera-kun, Mukuro-san..."

Mukuro completely ignored the younger as he put the paper back down on the desk, scribbling away beneath the question. Brown eyes looked over the neat hiragana that was quickly spreading across his page, finding that the blue-haired teenager was writing an explanation of the formula down.

Tsuna didn't trust it to be the right one, so he would definitely have Gokudera take a look at it when he arrived.

Mukuro didn't stop there; he continued writing down formulas for the rest of the questions, simple explanations of where he had gotten the numbers from accompanying them. Once he was done, he slid the paper back in front of his host and dropped the pen to the hardwood, returning back to the bed.

Tsuna stared at the older male for a few minutes before he read everything the Mist Guardian had written. _If _what Mukuro had explained _was _correct, these questions did make more sense to the brunet now, but he was still definitely going to get his friends to check it for him before he tried to do anything further.

"Yo, Tsuna."

Tsuna, who had started daydreaming a while back, snapped out of it at Yamamoto's voice. He turned to look at the doorway, finding Yamamoto stepping into the room with his usual bright smile on his face. Gokudera was following behind reluctantly, seemingly annoyed that he hadn't been the one to greet Tsuna first if the scowl on his face was anything to go by.

"Hey, guys." Tsuna grabbed the homework he had been working on and moved to sit around the small table instead, dropping his things onto it.

"Good morning, Tenth!" As always, Gokudera was far too excited to see the younger male.

"Ah, hello, Mukuro." Yamamoto beamed at the other before he turned to Fran, pulling two chocolate bars from his bag. He gave one to Mukuro and the other to Fran, as happy as ever. "Yo, Fran."

Mukuro nodded appreciatively at the Vongola Rain as he took the treat, unwrapping it eagerly. Fran was already devouring his chocolate, smudges of it around his mouth as the apple illusion rocked slightly with his movements.

Tsuna smiled at Yamamoto, just glad that the taller male was so easily accepting of others; Mukuro needed friends, and everyone knew _Gokudera _didn't want the two illusionists around. "Thank you, Yamamoto."

"Any time, Tsuna."

While the three Namimori students started on their homework together, Mukuro watched them curiously. The TV was still on in the background, Fran paying no attention to external stimuli as his emerald eyes stared at the screen, but Mukuro wasn't that trusting; he hated the way the silver-haired teenager sent filthy glares his way when Tsuna wasn't looking.

"Oh, Gokudera-kun." Tsuna, who had just remembered, slid the paper Mukuro had written on to his friend. "Does this make sense to you?"

Green eyes scanned the neat handwriting quickly before he blinked, looking at the brunet. "That's the short way of doing all this. Most people don't actually realise this formula is quicker and easier, so they do it the hard way instead. Who wrote this?"

"Mukuro-san." Lowering his voice, Tsuna added, "I thought he may have been sabotaging me..."

Gokudera scowled again before he looked up at the blue-haired male. He sneered at the other before he turned back to Tsuna, giving back the paper. "No; that's all correct."

"Of course it's correct; _I _wrote it." Mukuro smirked at the group from his position on the bed, his heterochromatic eyes shining with malice. "You don't trust me?"

"Not since you last meddled with his homework, you bastard!" Gokudera snapped.

"Tsunayoshi had annoyed me, so I thought it was fair."

"Now, now, guys." Yamamoto raised his hands in the air, trying to diffuse the situation. "No need to fight; Mukuro gave Tsuna the right formulas and that's all that matters."

"Yeah, that's right." Tsuna reached out, putting a soft hand on Gokudera's shoulder. "Let's forget about last time and get this done; Mukuro-san helped out today."

Mukuro just smirked in amusement as he continued watching the others; it satisfied his sadistic streak watching Tsuna struggle to comprehend what he was being taught, but at the same time, he almost pitied the younger; how hard was it to understand such simple questions?

Sometimes, Mukuro wanted to join the group and snatch the pen and paper from Gokudera and instead teach the other two how to do maths – he was sure he'd do a better job than the volatile teen, after all.

"Master, let's watch something else." Fran tugged on Mukuro's jacket before he yawned, curling in by the teenager's side. "This is getting boring."

Mukuro sniggered as he reached up, rubbing at the stitches in his forehead. He stood and crossed the room, searching through Tsuna's DVD collection for something to put on. Fran soon came to help, insisting on something that was most definitely aimed at kids like Lambo, much to Mukuro's displeasure.

After putting on the DVD Fran wanted, the two made their way back to the bed. Mukuro was careful to kick Gokudera as he passed the other, smirking widely as he heard the Vongola Storm swear at him.

In all the time that Mukuro had been here, he had hardly noticed that, with Tsuna usually in the room with him, he didn't feel as bad as he had been – instead, it was almost as if the brunet's presence was enough to help get him through the day without having his mind plagued by memories he didn't want.

_**~~XX~~**_

"What? You didn't hear about it?"

"No. Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I heard it from Rikako who heard it from Namiko who saw No-Good Tsuna walking home with him – a Kokuyo student, Namiko said."

"Who would want to stay with No-Good Tsuna?"

"I know, right?"

Hibari blinked, the conversation of two female Namimori students walking past him catching his attention. He grabbed one of his tonfa, moving to block the students' path through the mostly-empty street.

"There's another herbivore staying with the Sawada herbivore?" Hibari questioned, his dark eyes sending shivers down the females' spines.

One of the students – a long, brown-haired girl – trembled as she explained, knowing what would happen to her if she didn't tell Hibari what he wanted to hear. "O-one of my friends saw that No-Good Tsuna has a Kokuyo student staying with him! S-she said they've been walking to and from school together – that's all I know! Honest!"

"What does the Kokuyo student look like?" the skylark growled.

"I-I don't know! I haven't seen them! I-I think my friend mentioned different-coloured eyes and that's -!"

In the blink of an eye, Hibari was gone, leaving two shell-shocked girls behind who really had no idea on what had just happened.

Hibari himself was too angry to even pay attention to how long it had taken him to arrive at Tsuna's home; all he knew was that he had eventually invited himself into the house and stormed upstairs, kicking open the closed door that he knew led to the brunet's bedroom.

The skylark was emotionless as five sets of eyes fixed on him, caring nothing for the three Namimori students on the ground; all that mattered was that the pineapple herbivore was seated comfortably on Tsuna's bed, a sly smirk on the younger's face.

"H-hibari-san...!" Tsuna jumped to his feet, getting in between the older two as he realised a fight was about to break out; he had no idea what Hibari was doing here, but he knew it was solely because he must have somehow found out that his enemy was here. "Hibari-san, no!"

The kanji in Mukuro's eye had already changed as he eagerly awaited Hibari's approach, only to become annoyed when Tsuna stepped in front of him, his arms out as it to keep the two away from each other.

Hibari paid no heed to the brunet as he instead charged at the blue-haired male, swinging his tonfa viciously as he did so. He quickly changed direction when he felt someone catch his wrist, only to turn his feet and instead aim at whoever had dared stop his attack. A tall blur quickly jumped out of the way, soon to be revealed as Yamamoto, the younger male trying to calm the situation while Gokudera stood by his boss' side.

"Don't fight!" Tsuna ordered, confused about how this had come about but knowing now was the time he _had _to take charge; he couldn't let his guardians kill each other, after all. "I _don't_ want you to fight!"

"He shouldn't be here," Hibari growled. "Get him out, herbivore."

"Hibari-san, if I want Mukuro-san to be here, than he can be," the younger argued. "He's here because he has nowhere else to go – just like how I'd let _you _stay if the positions were reversed."

Hibari was startled by Tsuna's words, but he didn't let it show; he instead said, "That doesn't matter; I don't want him here."

Mukuro laughed as he clicked on to what Hibari was bothered about; the older male was _jealous _that he was here with Tsuna.

Reaching out, the blue-haired teenager tugged Tsuna onto the bed, wrapping his arms around the smaller male as he pulled Tsuna's back against his chest. "Is Kyouya jealous~? Kufufufu~"

Hibari narrowed his eyes at the sight before him, but what _really _made him see red was watching as that damn illusionist pressed his lips to Tsuna's cheek, just on the corner of the younger's lips, earning a bright red blush from the Vongola Decimo.

"Hibari! Stop it!" Gokudera threw small bombs at the skylark once the other charged at them again, knowing nothing good was to come out of this.

Yamamoto was quick to restrain Hibari, using all the strength he had to keep the older from breaking out of his grasp. "Hibari... Calm down..."

"Kufufufufu~" Mukuro held Tsuna tighter to his chest, not letting the squirming body out of his hold once. He could feel emerald eyes fixed on him, but he didn't look at Fran; a Hibari raging in jealousy was _much _more entertaining than a snarky little brat. "It seems we made him jealous, Tsunayoshi~ I'll get rid of him for you."

The kanji in Mukuro's red eye changed once more as he cast an illusion over Hibari, knowing the smaller male was far too enraged to even notice that the Mukuro _he _saw jumping out of the window was not real.

Hibari was quick to go after what he believed was the real thing, blinded by his hatred for Mukuro to even _think _of the possibility of this being a distraction.

"He's gone for now, Tsunayoshi." Mukuro released his grip on Tsuna, intending on letting the younger up from his lap. Instead, he was surprised by the fact that the brunet just lay against him, his face red from embarrassment as timid eyes looked up at him, small hands clenched beneath his chin. "Oh? What is the matter, Tsunayoshi?"

"Get your hands off him!" Gokudera snapped, tugging the Vongola Sky from the bed. "Filthy creep! Putting your lips all over the Tenth!"

"Tsuna, are you okay?" Yamamoto leant down, putting his hands on his knees as he regarded his friend with concerned eyes. He could see that brunet orbs darted in between the three of them continuously, but he didn't know much else; he hoped Tsuna was going to be alright.

After minutes of trying to get Tsuna to speak, the brunet eventually let out a squeak before he ran from the room. Gokudera and Yamamoto chased after their friend, leaving Fran and Mukuro by themselves.

"Did you break him, Master?" Innocent eyes looked into heterochromatic ones, Fran not understanding what had just happened; why would a simple kiss make someone react the way Hibari and Tsuna had? "How?"

"I just kissed him." Mukuro shrugged. "I didn't break him. ...I think."

"Why?" Fran moved closer to the teenager, his eyes shining with curiosity.

"Why what?"

"Why would you kiss him?"

"To make Kyouya jealous."

Fran tilted his head, not understanding how someone could be jealous of a kiss. "I don't understand."

"It's something I'll talk to you about when you're older, Fran." Patting the boy on the head, Mukuro turned back to the TV. "You don't need to know these things just yet."

Fran blinked before he leant up, kissing the corner of Mukuro's lips like he had seen his Master do to Tsuna. He instead crinkled his nose up as he pulled away, his eyes as dull as ever. "That seems like a waste of my time, Master; nothing happened."

"As I said, I'll talk to you about it when you're older. And, Fran?"

"Yes?"

"Please do not kiss me like that again."

"Sorry, Master."

_**~~XX~~**_

It had been a long time since Hibari was so worked up, he wanted to kill anything and everything in his path; he had chased after an illusionary Mukuro for an hour, only to finally corner it and have it dispel within seconds. He had no idea why seeing what he had had made him so angry; just that Mukuro had no right to be touching _that _herbivore the way he had – hell, Mukuro shouldn't even_ be _there in the first place!

What had happened made Hibari want to go back to the Sawada household and bite them all to death, but he knew he wasn't in the right state of mind to do such a thing yet; if he went back, the results would only be the same, and he'd be _damned _he let Mukuro make a fool of him again.

Slamming the rice paper door to his bedroom shut, Hibari kicked at the wall in anger. He heard his father shout at him from somewhere in the house to be quiet, and it only made his temper worse; he didn't need his father's shit after today – he just needed to cool down and find a different strategy if _this _was the game Mukuro wanted to play now.

Throwing himself onto the futon, Hibari stared up at the roof as he heard the wind raging outside. He growled to himself as he rolled onto his side, hating the fact that, no matter how hard he tried, Mukuro seemed to be better in him than _everything _– and that apparently included Tsuna liking the Vongola Mist more than him.

Hibari had never before given a damn about who liked him and who didn't – much less who liked him _more_ – but when it came to those two herbivores, having the brunet appreciate _him _more than Mukuro was all that mattered. He couldn't explain it; it all came down to that feeling of superiority knowing you're better than someone you _resent_. 

Closing his eyes, Hibari tried to calm himself down, refusing to sleep until he had come up with a plan to finally beat Mukuro once and for all.


	7. Chapter 7

To say that Tsuna had avoided Mukuro for the rest of the day would be an understatement; he had left the house with Gokudera and Tsuna, and when dinnertime rolled around, he had begged for his friends to stay with him. To his relief, they had. Mukuro acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary, eating his dinner in peaceful silence – it was almost as if he hadn't kissed the younger without warning. The blue-haired teenager had gone to bed not long after dinner, so Tsuna had been thankful that he wouldn't have to worry about being bothered again that night.

It was the morning after that concerned Tsuna.

Though Mukuro had woken before Tsuna or Fran, he had made no effort to get out of the futon; he had instead just lain where he was for however long, staring blankly past Fran and into the corner of the room by the door. He didn't interact much at all when the boy had woken; he instead just told him to go have breakfast and leave him be.

It was when _Tsuna _had awoken did he realise the severity of the situation; it was a Sunday, and he had woken up late today – he had been awake for a total of one minute before he found that his guest was trying to go back to sleep, even though it was almost afternoon.

"Mukuro-san?" The brunet threw his legs over the edge of the bed, looking down at the older male. "Mukuro-san, you shouldn't go back to sleep; it'll be lunchtime soon."

Mukuro made a soft noise in reply, but he didn't open his eyes; he instead pulled his blankets tighter around his body, making himself more comfortable.

"Mukuro-san..." Getting off the bed, Tsuna made his way to the taller male. He knelt beside the futon as he reached out, slender fingers ghosting across the illusionist's shoulder. "Mukuro-san, you – hiee!"

Throwing himself backwards, brown eyes stared wide in shock, horrified by the illusions that had just been thrown in his face; it was as if a movie had played right before his eyes, one that had been sped up, full of loud, frightening sounds and disturbing images. It had been enough to scare Tsuna, but he was thankful the older male hadn't done anything that would leave damage; he wouldn't put it past Mukuro to have done worse if it had been anyone else who had bothered him in that moment.

"M-mukuro-san..." Tsuna watched as the blue-haired teenager pulled the blankets over his head, his soft tuft poking out from beneath the edge. "Mukuro-san, I – w-wait!"

Without a word, Mukuro had blanketed himself with an illusion, hiding his presence. Tsuna sighed, having no idea what he was supposed to do now; should he just leave the other alone to sleep? Or should he sit there and try to talk to someone who was probably blocking all sounds out with a second layer of illusion?

Shaking his head, Tsuna got back to his feet and went downstairs for breakfast, hoping that if he were to give Mukuro some time to himself, he may open up just a tad more – he could only hope he was doing the right thing by the older male.

_**~~XX~~**_

The streets were quiet as Tsuna and Fran walked through them, on their way down to the market to bring back ingredients for dinner. Mukuro was still hiding behind illusions, even hours later, leaving the brunet to sincerely hope he hadn't made the other any worse this morning.

Fran was good company when he wasn't being a snarky little brat; just like any other child his age, he wanted everything his tiny fingers could come into contact with, his curiosity needing to be satisfied whenever he came across something he wanted to know more about.

"Your total is twenty-two dollars." The cashier smiled down at Tsuna as she read out the numbers, her dark eyes drifting over to Fran. A sudden frown crossed her face as she took notice of the younger. "O-oh..."

Tsuna blinked in confusion before he looked down at the boy, finding him sifting through the magazine stand – the_ adult _magazine stand – and looking at all of the pictures. With a squeak, he shot forward as he moved to take the magazine from the boy. "Oi, Fran! No!"

Fran turned to look up at Tsuna as he was tugged away, his eyes as emotionless as ever. "That's a weird magazine, Tuna-Fish. Everyone was naked and doing weird things."

"You're not old enough to look at _those_...!" Tsuna's face was a deep red as he moved to palm his face, turning shy attention to the cashier as he reached into his pocket to grab the money his mother had given him.

"Some of them were kissing, Tuna-Fish." Fran stepped onto his tiptoes so that he could look over the register, wanting to see what everyone was doing. "But they weren't kisses like Master gave you."

"O-oi, Fran, that's not –"

"- Is Master going to kiss you like in the magazines another time?" Fran disregarded the horrified look the cashier donned, his curiosity about the teenagers too much.

"No!" Tsuna whimpered. "Fran, stop! Mukuro-san only did it to make Hibari-san jealous! It's not...!"

"Does Master want to kiss him, too?" Fran let out a dramatic sigh as he reached forward, pressing the eftpos machine buttons with pudgy fingers.

"What? I don't know!" Tsuna struggled to grab all of the coins he had in his pocket, just wanting to get out of here and away from Fran's questions. "Maybe! How would I know?! It's not like I've asked!"

"You should." Fran offered a sly smile at his own words, watching as the brunet tossed more coins onto the counter.

"Hiee! I _don't _want to talk about this, Fran!" Taking the change and receipt that had been handed to him, Tsuna quickly grabbed the bag and Fran's wrist, tugging him out of the store. "You're not old enough to be discussing this with me!"

The boy puffed up his cheeks as he turned to look anywhere but at Tsuna. He was silent for a few minutes as thoughts ran through his head, before he asked, "Did you like it?"

Warily, Tsuna replied. "Like what...?"

"Master kissing you." Emerald eyes blinked as they waited patiently for the answer.

A dark blush crossed Tsuna's cheeks as he stopped walking, fumbling with his hands. "I-I don't feel comfortable with that question, Fran! I _really _don't want to talk about this... Please...?"

Fran pouted before he shrugged. "If Tuna-Fish says so..."

Sighing in relief, Tsuna nodded. "Thank you, Fran..."

Silence fell between them as they continued walking, soft rumbling of thunder somewhere in the distance. Fran shivered at the sound, unconsciously pressing closer to the brunet's body as his eyes looked up to the sky. His nose crinkled when the first raindrops fell, landing on his face.

"Master doesn't like water." Fran spoke in an absentminded tone, almost as if he hardly even noticed what he was saying. "He won't even drink it anymore..."

Tsuna looked down at the boy, a soft look crossing his face. "Do you know why?"

Shaking his head, Fran explained. "I think Master was scared of it before he got me. He wouldn't go outside if it was raining, and if we were training in the clearing and it started to rain, he went funny."

"Funny?"

"Quiet, and like he wasn't there."

Tsuna could only imagine what Mukuro was going through, but he had his suspicions; if it was a fear of water, could it be because of the older male's time in prison? It seemed logical, and if that was the case, would it be so easy to help the other?

"Tuna-Fish, look." Fran pointed ahead of them, a familiar skylark prowling around. Tsuna yelped at the sight of his Cloud Guardian, instinctively scooping Fran up in his arms in order to run before the older male caught sight of them; he could only imagine what the raven would do to him because of Mukuro's actions.

However, it seemed that Fran hadn't noticed him soon enough as onyx eyes locked onto brown ones, two tonfa whipped into view within seconds. Tsuna's legs went weak as he realised there was no point in running as he'd only make it harder for himself if he did so.

"F-fran..." Tsuna gulped as he tightened his hold on the boy, preparing himself for whatever death may claim him, "...i-if I die... you can – hiee!"

Tsuna hadn't noticed how fast Hibari was until the taller male seemingly teleported straight in front of him. His legs shook as he whimpered desperate apologies, hoping that Hibari would find mercy in this moment.

Whacking Tsuna hard over the head, Hibari growled, "Why did you let him kiss you?"

"I-I didn't know he was going to _kiss _me, Hibari-san! H-honest!" Tsuna cracked open an eye, regarding the older male in fear. "I swear, I didn't – H-hibari-san...?"

Fran blinked, sensing that all fear that had been in Tsuna had suddenly disappeared, confusion taking over the Vongola Decimo. He looked up, finding the Sky Guardian was focused intently on Hibari's face.

Hibari felt naked under Tsuna's gaze, confused as to why the smaller teenager would suddenly go from being absolutely terrified and begging for his life, to staring at him with emotion in his eyes Hibari wasn't familiar with.

Stepping back instinctively, Hibari raised his tonfa once more, as if it was the only thing that would protect him from the younger's gaze. "What, herbivore?"

"That bruise..." Tsuna put Fran back on the ground, dropping the plastic bag into the boy's hold. He stepped closer to the taller male, reaching out slowly to graze his fingers across the bruise that covered Hibari's cheek. Tsuna knew this wasn't right – _nothing _could hurt Hibari, so why...? "Where did you get it?"

With a snarl, Hibari went to hit the Vongola Decimo once more, only to be surprised as the other dodged his attack with ease. "It's not your business, herbivore. Stay out of it."

The brunet shook his head. "Hibari-san... You're my friend, and you're hurt... I _won't _stay out of it – no matter how much you scare me, you're my _friend_."

Hibari was silent as he regarded the other, tensing at these words; he had never been a 'friend' to someone before, so why did Tsuna of all people consider him as one?

"When we were having dinner together those nights, it made me wonder..." Tsuna sighed before he continued on, unable to be afraid of Hibari in this moment – not when his concern for the skylark was greater than his fear, "...how could you be like a different person in those moments, and then go back to being the Prefect of the Disciplinary Committee so easily? You were more open and relaxed at my home than I've ever seen you before, so why can't you be like that anywhere else?"

"Why would I answer to a _herbivore_?" Tsuna knew Hibari felt threatened by his prying; he could see it in the other's eyes. "Why I do what I do is _my _business – no one else's. Don't act like you're my friend; I don't _need _friends – I've survived this long on my own and 'friends' will only be a hindrance."

"What do you mean by 'this long' on your own?" Tsuna frowned, feeling as if he understood the hint; was Hibari's family there for him the way _his_ mother was? If they weren't... it would certainly explain why Hibari cooked for himself, but how did the skylark's behaviour come about due to this possibility? If he was bruised... "What about your parents?"

"Why has your persona changed like this, herbivore? Why aren't you _scared_?"

"Because I don't want to be scared of my friends..." Tsuna shook his head as a sad expression crossed his face. "I want to love my friends and treat them with respect, and if they need help, I want to be there for them – that's what it means to be a friend, I think."

Raising his tonfa out in front of him in an offensive manner, Hibari growled, "Fight me. If you can beat me, I'll accept you as a 'friend'. No herbivore will _ever _be my 'friend'."

"But I don't want to fight you, Hibari-san... I don't want to hurt my friends."

"I will _never _respect you until you prove to me you're someone _worth _respecting." Taking a step forward, Hibari swung the tonfa again. Tsuna ducked, putting more distance between them. "_Fight _me, herbivore."

"I'm not going to fight you, but if you want me to show you I'm worth respecting, I will." Tsuna was quiet as he spoke, pulling Fran back with him; he didn't think Hibari would hit a kid, but then again this _was _Hibari they were talking about. "Just not by fighting you."

With a silent snarl, Hibari sheathed his weapons. He glared at the brunet for a few seconds before he turned his back to the younger, a dark tone in his voice as he said, "I don't respect those weaker than me."

Tsuna didn't speak as he watched Hibari leave; he instead just scooped Fran up into his arms as he continued on to his home, knowing he'd have to find a way to get through to Hibari sooner or later – that bruise was what had alerted him to the fact that the older male was going through _something_, and Tsuna wanted to help.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Master, I have a question for you."

Mukuro sighed, debating whether or not he should come out from beneath the blanket. It was nearing dinnertime, and though he had long-since dropped the illusion, he hadn't left the futon once.

"Master." Chubby fingers started poking the illusionist's cheek. "Master, I have a question."

"Go ask Tsunayoshi..." Rolling onto his other side so that his back was to Fran, Mukuro closed his eyes again as he tried to go back to sleep.

"I _did _ask Tuna-Fish, but he didn't know the answer, so I want to ask _you_." Fran tossed himself on top of the teenager, trying to get Mukuro's attention.

Knowing Fran wouldn't leave him alone, Mukuro pushed the other away as he sat up, lifeless eyes staring at the youngest. "What...?"

"Do you want to kiss Kyouya, Master?" Fran sent a curious look at his guardian, wanting to know the answer. "And did you like kissing Tuna-Fish, too?"

"Why are you asking me this?" Mukuro glanced to the side, not wanting to answer to a seven-year-old.

"Because I was looking at a magazine when Tuna-Fish was paying for stuff, and there was lots of pictures of people kissing. It was like how _you _kissed Tuna-Fish, but differently. Are you going to kiss Tuna-Fish like in the magazine one day?"

Heterochromatic eyes closed as Mukuro frowned, not liking the idea of his student having gotten his hands on such content – he was a teenager himself, barely used to the idea that he was now the younger's guardian, and he wasn't yet comfortable with the idea of having to be the one to teach Fran about this kind of thing.

"Did Tsunayoshi take those magazines from you?"

"Yes, Master."

"Good..." Running a hand through blue locks, Mukuro shrugged. "I'm not answering your questions, Fran. They're not your business. Go do something and leave me be, please."

"Master..." Fran poked the older male again. "Master, it's no fun when you don't get out of bed. You've been teaching me illusions all week; why are you stopping again? Is it because it's raining?"

Mukuro flinched at the question, knowing that he did indeed feel bad over the weather – but it was more than just that, and someone such as Fran wouldn't understand.

"I want to be alone, Fran. Go bother Tsunayoshi." Lying back down on his side, Mukuro started to pull the blankets over his head again, only to be stopped by tiny fingers reaching out to tug the covers away.

In the blink of an eye, Mukuro had lunged forward, his eyes brimming with anger and hatred as he bit at his lip hard enough to draw blood, shoving the boy away from him with enough force to send the younger skidding across the ground on his back.

Fran laid there in shock for a few seconds before he pushed himself into a sitting position, his emerald eyes shining with tears as he regarded Mukuro with fright; he never understood when the teenager hurt him like this – all he knew was that it made him greatly upset, his love and trust in the other shaken by these random acts of aggression.

Mukuro was barely conscious of getting to his feet and stomping over to the younger illusionist, but it was this action alone that sent Fran scurrying out of the room in a whimpering mess.

The blue-haired male just frowned as he moved back to the futon, not meaning to treat Fran this way but being unable to stop himself; he just... That kid made him so _angry _at times...!

Coating himself in illusions once more, Mukuro hid his presence from the world as he curled into a ball, trying his hardest to go back to sleep – if he were asleep, he could escape the pain for the time being.

_**~~XX~~**_

Closing the door quietly behind him, Hibari glanced around his home. He didn't see his father anywhere in sight, so the skylark tried his hardest to walk as silently as he could back to his room, hoping not to draw any attention to himself.

It was Hibird, nestled in the raven locks, who gave away Hibari's presence, however; the bird had just woken up from a nap and chirped away happily as he started flying around the room, unaware of the strife he was about to get the skylark in.

"Kyouya!" Footsteps stormed out of the master bedroom as a man with long, greasy black locks and dirty nightclothes approached Hibari. Dark orbs seethed with hatred as a large hand shot out, grabbing the front of the teenager's shirt. "Kyouya, what the fuck have I told you about that stupid bird?!"

Snatching his tonfa from their sheathes, Hibari swung instinctively at his attacker, but the man was quick to take them from him. Within seconds, searing pain shot through Hibari's face as the hard steel cracked against his jaw, blood flowing past soft lips.

"Don't even try it, boy," the man hissed, whacking Hibari in the head for good measure. "You're sixteen-years too young to beat me in a fight. You're weak, and pathetic is all you'll ever be. You'll never be able to so much as _scratch _me, and until the day comes where you can actually land a fucking _hit _on me, you're not my son. You're worth jack shit until you can hold your own against me."

Hibari glared at his father, Hibird still chirping away, oblivious to what was happening. "..."

"Get the fuck in your room and don't make a _sound_ for the rest of the night, you useless waste of space. Go!"

Hibari was tossed carelessly to the side, landing on his arm. He winced at the sharp pain that flared through the limb, but he wasn't going to show that bastard how much it hurt – he'd sooner die than give the other that kind of satisfaction.

"Hibird..." Muttering for the bird, Hibari made his way to his bedroom, his pet nestling back into his hair.

Tossing himself onto the bed, Hibari pulled the blankets over his body as he listened to the storm rage outside. He tried to block out the shouts aimed at his mother, instead thinking about his day.

There had been a reason why the skylark had never gone back to Tsuna's home to deal with Mukuro – as much as he hated the pineapple herbivore, he hadn't been able to find it in him to be the one picking the fight today; he had already spent the morning dealing with his father's cruel hands, and the last thing he wanted was to lose the fight against Mukuro once more.

It was rare for Hibari's father to physically abuse him, but apparently he had done something bad enough to make the man beat the absolute shit out of him earlier. What that was, he had no idea; he had done nothing except wake up and go to make breakfast for himself.

Whatever the reasoning was, Hibari's body was aching with pains he'd never let anyone know about.

Sometimes, when Hibari thought about Mukuro, it reminded him of his father; he had never been able to beat the teenager, the younger male always having the upper hand – like how his father always managed to overpower him with ease, almost as if the man wasn't even trying.

Thinking about Mukuro instilled the same kind of emotions Hibari felt towards his father; loathing and anger, and the need to prove that he was better. Sometimes the skylark didn't know who he hated more, or which one had pissed him off for the day first; it all seemed to stir together until he really had no idea what he was even angry about anymore.

But if there was one thing that most _definitely _made him see red, it was seeing the one he _resented_ getting attention from the one person he _somewhat _felt comfortable and safe with – he'd be _damned _if he shared _his_ herbivore with that pineapple.

Wiping the blood from his mouth, Hibari tried to let himself be soothed into sleep by the raging storm outside, knowing tonight was just another night of hating _everything_.


	8. Chapter 8

**I feel this chapter isn't up to standards, so I apologise if it's not. There's just been so much happening over the past week and I've honestly been struggling, especially with exhaustion, but I can't afford to let myself slip, if that makes any sense, so I'm still trying to continue on as normal. **

In the few days that had come and gone, Tsuna hadn't seen Hibari anywhere. It was almost as if the older male had disappeared off the face of the earth, and it worried him; if someone had managed to bruise Hibari...

Having asked Kusakabe where Hibari was had been pointless as the Disciplinary Committee member didn't know, though the older male had been kind enough to give out the Prefect's home address – almost _begging _the younger not to tell Hibari he had been the one to tell Tsuna.

"Thank you, Kusakabe." Tsuna smiled as he slipped the small piece of paper into his pocket, deciding he'd go around today after school. "He won't be _too _annoyed, would he?"

"Well, I very rarely go over there." Kusakabe hummed softly as he thought about the question. "The only times he'll let me in is if he's home alone, and even then he doesn't let me stay very long. He's never seemed to be outright bothered by my presence."

Tsuna nodded, hoping Hibari wouldn't take _too _much offense from his arrival; he could only imagine how the skylark would interpret it.

_**~~XX~~**_

Hibari lived in a traditional Japanese home, Tsuna could see. The house looked well-kept, the front lawns mowed and void of any trash, and from the outside, it looked as if any normal family lived there.

Taking a deep breath, Tsuna walked down the path to the veranda, hoping Hibari wouldn't be in too foul a mood; he might not come out of this alive, otherwise. The birds that chirped away in the distance were somewhat soothing to the brunet, the teenager otherwise feeling as if he were about to walk into a spooky, abandoned old house on a dare he hadn't wanted.

Stopping by the front door, Tsuna raised his hand to knock, only to stop as he heard shouting from inside the building. There was no way it was Hibari's voice; the skylark was always so calm and collected (except when it came to Mukuro, of course), and had never once raised his voice to anyone.

Frowning, the Vongola Decimo stepped closer to the front door, hearing what sounded like a female crying. Tsuna gulped as he moved away from the front door, heading into the backyard instead; he knew not to intrude on _that, _but if he could at least find Hibari and ask what was going on...

The backyard was nothing like the front was; it was unkempt, junk all over the place, resembling a jungle littered with human belongings. One of the rice-paper doors was ajar, but apart from that, the back of the house looked as if no one lived there.

Creeping over to the door, Tsuna could hear the shouting getting louder. He peaked into room, surprised to find an occupant in the bed on the other side of the room. It was Hibari, the skylark's back to Tsuna as he laid in almost-perfect imitation of Mukuro on a bad day. The room was mostly bare apart from that single bed; just a bookshelf, a bedside table, and wardrobe the only furnishings in the room.

"Hib –!" Tsuna ducked out of sight as the door leading into the corridor was ripped open, the brunet catching brief sight of a man who looked almost like Hibari – however, unlike Hibari, this man radiated nothing but pure hatred and anger.

"Get the fuck out of bed, you little shit!"

Tsuna flinched and covered his ears as he heard the unmistakable sound of someone being hit. He stayed out of sight, still trying to come to terms with what was happening; how could someone treat their _child _this way?

"Leave him alone, Daisuke!"

Tsuna wasn't aware that a woman had also ventured into the room until she yelped a split second after a slap resonated through the air.

"Fuck off, you dirty whore!"

"Daisuke, I said to leave Kyouya al – a-ahh!"

Tsuna was horrified at the loud thump that penetrated his ears. He knew that woman must have been tossed to the ground, and the idea that a _woman _was being hurt by their partner sickened him to no end. Jumping to his feet, Tsuna peeked around the door, feeling his eyes widen with tears at the sight of a raven-haired woman being kicked repeatedly by the man. Hibari was sitting up in the bed, his face swollen and covered in bruises, as he stared at the scene before him.

"Stop it!" Tsuna put all his strength into a tackle, managing to get the man away from the woman. He was aware of the Prefect slowly getting out of the bed, ducking down to check on her, but he couldn't focus on that; not when he had to protect them. "Don't touch them again!"

Hibari, who had reached out to thread soft fingers through his mother's dirty locks, was barely aware of the fight that was taking place before them; he was too busy trying to comprehend the fact that his mother seemed to be dying; she was becoming weaker and weaker in her movements, her eyes dull as she tried to smile at the skylark – one that just didn't reach her eyes. She extended her hand, her fingertips ghosting over her son's cheek before she became still, her limb dropping down to the hardwood floor.

Kyouya closed his eyes as he lowered his head, gripping the hand that had, just seconds previously, been touching him. He squeezed it as he bit at his lip, feeling more rage than he had ever known overwhelming him. He was barely conscious of getting to his feet and lunging at his father; all he knew was that, however long later, he had come to with blood that wasn't his all over him.

"Hibari-san...?" Tsuna was standing by the skylark's side, not a hint of fear in him. Brown eyes watched the older male, finding onyx ones slowly returning the gaze. "Hibari-san, I – Hibari-san!"

Tsuna reached out, catching the taller teenager as Hibari fell forward, dark eyes snapping shut as oblivion took over him.

"Hibari-san!" Holding the skylark tight, Tsuna reached into his pocket, dialling Yamamoto's number. He held the phone to his ear, talking in a panicked voice once the Vongola Rain answered. "Yamamoto! I-I need help! It's Hibari-san...! I need to get him to my house, but I can't carry him. It's not far from your restaurant...!"

With reassurance that Yamamoto was on his way, Tsuna sat with Hibari in his lap, hoping with all his being there was something he could do. He glanced over at the dead body of the Prefect's father, gulping; he knew for a fact that, though the Disciplinary Committee dealt with dead bodies, Hibari had never actually _killed _someone before – that was more Mukuro's personality.

"Hibari-san..." Shaking his head, Tsuna now understood Hibari; he'd be angry and aggressive, too, if _he _had to live with this kind of thing.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Instead of stuffing your face full of chips, can you actually _teach _me something?"

Mukuro glared at the boy seated on the futon next to him, the bag of potato chips he had been eagerly eating still in his hand. "I _am_. You're doing a good enough job by yourself."

Fran didn't much like the illusionary butterfly perched on his finger; he felt he was capable of something _much _better, but Mukuro was too busy eating to bother guiding him through a stronger illusion.

The boy was just about to open his mouth to reply back when the bedroom door opened and Yamamoto and Tsuna ran in. Emerald eyes watched as the two moved to the bed, laying a third person down on it.

"Master, they brought Kyouya back for you to kiss." Fran jumped to his feet so that he could climb onto the bed, watching curiously. "I hope you don't mind blood in your mouth, though."

Mukuro raised an eyebrow as he, too, stood up, moving to come to the bed. He continued eating his potato chips as he regarded the scene, greatly surprised to find the older male covered in blood and bruises.

"Oya oya, what happened here?" Heterochromatic eyes looked to brown ones, the illusionist genuinely intrigued about the answer; he knew until Hibari had gone up against him, the skylark had never lost a fight before.

"His father did it," Tsuna explained quickly before he left the room to grab a damp towel.

Mukuro's eyes widened in surprise at these words, unable to stop the onslaught of memories from hitting him like a ton of bricks. He dropped the bag of chips as he fell to his knees, a strangled whine escaping his lips as he started clawing at his face, ghostly pain and echoing whispers overwhelming him.

"Mukuro?" Yamamoto turned his attention to the other teenager. He reached out in an attempt to help the younger, only to be knocked halfway across the room by a powerful illusion. He got back to his feet, wincing at the pain that was throbbing in his side. "Mukuro, it's okay..."

Fran took this moment to hide beneath Tsuna's blankets, quickly learning when to leave the illusionist alone. He pulled his knees to his chest, hoping to wait out the other's temper.

"Stay away..." Mukuro growled as he heard the younger approach him. His trident materialised, a warning that it wouldn't be pretty if his wishes weren't obeyed. "...Stay _away _from me!"

Yamamoto jumped out of the way just in time as the spikes of the trident were swung at him. He frowned at the slightly taller male, not wanting to fight Mukuro – not when he felt they could become good friends if the blue-haired teenager would let him in.

"Mukuro..." Yamamoto stayed where he was, noticing that the blue-haired teenager wasn't on the offensive; he was merely trying to defend himself from something the younger male didn't understand.

Turning his head back at the sounds of Tsuna's approach, Yamamoto frowned up at the smaller male. "Tsuna, he... Something's really wrong with Mukuro..."

It took Tsuna just one look at the illusionist to understand; whatever the Kokuyo member was seeing was nothing but remnants of a past Mukuro probably never wanted to remember.

"Mukuro-san..." Passing over the damp towel to his friend, Tsuna slowly made his way over to the flailing illusionist. He tried his hardest to make himself seem as harmless as possible, unable to let the other scare him when angry heterochromatic eyes locked onto his. "Mukuro-san, I'm not going to hurt you..."

Mukuro growled as he swung the trident again, lunging once more as Tsuna dodged the attack. In his traumatised state, the Mist Guardian was nowhere near his full potential, so it was easy enough for Tsuna to find an opening and take the trident from the older male. Heterochromatic eyes widened as a whimper escaped parted lips, feeling arms wrap around his body in a manner that reminded him of all those restraints he had endured in his life.

"Mukuro-san..." Tightening his hold on his guardian, Tsuna dropped his face into the small of Mukuro's back. He sighed, wishing _none _of his friends had had to suffer as much as they had. "Mukuro-san, it's going to be alright... You're here with us now... We care... We really _do _care about you..."

Mukuro stared blankly ahead of him as the familiar voice slowly broke him out of his trance. He blinked a few times, clearing his head, before he turned to look at the brunet. Never before had he had someone hughim – he had always believed it was because no one wanted to really _be near _him, let alone _touch _him...

Tsunayoshi really _was _full of surprises, wasn't he?

"Those scars on your body..." Tsuna whispered, careful not to let anyone overhear, "...they came from your family, didn't they...?"

Mukuro squeezed his eyes shut at the question, feeling sick at the realisation someone _else _knew about those marks. If Fran had opened his mouth, he would...!

"Your father, I'm assuming?" Tsuna frowned when he received a hesitant nod in response.

"...He was the one... who did all that to me..." Mukuro felt as if he had lost all strength; he let his head drop onto Tsuna's shoulder, unable to fight away the embrace – he felt too weak, too lost to find the motivation to do anything other than just stand here and let himself be held. "I hate him so much... He was the first one I killed..."

It hurt Tsuna greatly to know that neither his Mist nor Cloud Guardian had had good luck with parents – he himself knew he was lucky to have his mother and the lazy father he did because at least _Iemetsu _loved him.

"...Mukuro-san..." Wrapping his arms around Mukuro tighter, Tsuna promised, "...you'll _never _have to live like that again, Mukuro-san, because we're _all _here for you and we'd _never _do those things to you. We just want to be your friend."

"..." Mukuro let his eyes slip shut, too exhausted to want to deal with this anymore. "...I wish to sleep now, Tsunayoshi..."

Tsuna didn't like the idea of the older male sleeping so much, but he could understand right now; he'd probably want to sleep after such a thing as well.

Letting go of Mukuro, the brunet said, "Sleep well, then."

Mukuro ignored everything around him as he instead laid down on the futon, hiding beneath the blankets. It took just seconds for him to put an illusion up around him, probably knowing that he'd never get any peace if Hibari woke up and discovered his presence – he would let go of his hate towards the older male for now; it seems they've _both _had a bad enough day as it was.

Letting the illusionist be, Tsuna moved back over to his bed. Fran had lowered the blanket from his face, peeking out warily as if to make sure he was in no danger from his guardian today. Hibari was still unconscious, but Yamamoto had managed to wipe away most of the blood and make him more comfortable on the mattress.

"Want me to stay, Tsuna?" the taller male offered, knowing he had been asked instead of Gokudera because the silver-haired male's temper would be of no use today.

"Oh, if you could, Yamamoto." Tsuna smiled gratefully at his friend as he waited patiently for Hibari to wake up; he could only imagine the stress the older male was going through, after all.

"Sure thing, Tsuna. C'mon, Fran; let's go play catch in the yard while Hibari sleeps."

Fran frowned up at the baseball player before he nodded, glancing warily at where Mukuro had been. He was quick to jump off the bed and follow Yamamoto, afraid of what his guardian might do to him.

_I hope Fran's smart enough to dodge the baseball when Yamamoto throws it, or I'm going to have another unconscious person on my hands... _Shaking his head, Tsuna could only hope Yamamoto would take it easy on the boy.

_**~~XX~~**_

When Hibari's eyes cracked open an hour later, the first thing he saw was Tsuna sitting by him on the bed, apparently trying to absorb whatever textbook he was reading was attempting to teach him; the brunet just reached up and ruffled his hair as an uncomfortable look crossed the younger's face.

"It's too hard...!" Tsuna whined, unaware that his guest had woken up. "Reborn...! He never helps me with my homework anymore..."

"It's thirty-two."

Tsuna jumped at the skylark's unexpected voice, almost dropping the textbook as he yelped. Like usual, he seemed afraid of the older male, stuttering as he tried to answer the other. "T-thirty-two?!"

"The answer you were trying so hard to work out." Hibari didn't move; his eyes instead wandered over the page, feeling comforted by the idea of his beloved school. "It's thirty-two."

"O-oh..." Tsuna smiled shyly as he rubbed the back of his head, nodding. "I-I knew that...!"

Hibari ignored this as he instead pushed himself into a sitting position. His school uniform was dishevelled, but it was the least of his problems right now. "Why did you bring me here, herbivore?"

Laughing nervously, the Vongola Decimo tried to explain. "B-because I didn't want to leave you there, Hibari-san... I... I wanted to be of help to you, and... I was really worried about you..."

"You tried to fight him." It wasn't a question. "You fought him, and you wounded him. Why?"

"Because not only are you my _friend, _Hibari-san, there was no _way _I was going to let him hurt you guys like that..." There was a tender tone in the younger's voice, brown eyes full of pain. "I didn't..."

"You stepped in... You stepped in on a fight that didn't concern you... Because you _cared_...?" Hibari was clearly confused about the other's reasoning – it was almost as if he didn't understand love and care.

"Of _course _I cared, Hibari-san – I've _always _cared." Tsuna tilted his head slightly, sighing. "Why _wouldn't _I have cared?"

"..." Looking down at hands that had just taken their first life, Hibari clenched them. "My mother... My mother's gone, too..."

"I'm so sorry, Hibari-san..."

A dark expression crossed Hibari's face before he started laughing. Tsuna felt no fear from this; he could appreciate the fact that the skylark was finally free from the family that had caused him pain. "He's dead. All this time I've wanted him gone, and now he finally is. I am _happy _about this, herbivore; all the things he did to me and my mother... He's gone. ...I couldn't save my mother, though. All these years... nothing I did could save her – because of _him_."

"I'm sorry..."

"Why are _you _sorry?" Dark eyes pierced Tsuna's. "_You're _not the one who had to go through it all."

"..."

"It doesn't matter; I'll have Kusakabe clear out the bodies." Laying back down, Hibari rested his head on the comfortable pillow.

"Hibari-san... Hibari-san, can I get you anything? A drink, or some food?" Tsuna didn't know how to comfort the older male, so he hoped by being a good host, he would help some.

"You can tell me where the pineapple herbivore is; I know he's still here." Hibari narrowed his eyes at the brunet accusingly.

"I honestly don't know where he went; he hid himself with an illusion," the Sky Guardian explained. "He's... He's been through a lot as well, Hibari-san... Please don't fight with him today..."

Rolling onto his side, Hibari shrugged. "Then it's lucky for him I'm willing to let go for just today."

"Will you be staying the night?"

"Only if you have a spare room no pineapple herbivores will bother me in..." Glaring with one eye at the younger, Hibari made his threat clear; either he got a peaceful night's rest _without _having to worry about Mukuro, or _someone _will be bitten to death.

"Of course, Hibari-san." Tsuna knew the Prefect had been through too much today to find the strength to leave; there was no other reason Hibari would remain here otherwise. "I'll make _sure _no one bothers you."

"Good..." Letting himself drift into sleep, Hibari could only dream about what life would be like now that he didn't have his father around anymore. He was so relieved about it, no longer having to stress about what he would come home to – he was now free to live as he pleased, with no one to fear.

Oh, life was going to be _so _much better now.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna turned around to look at the older male, having been in the process of putting pyjamas on. Mukuro must have just dropped his illusion, deep bags under his eyes as he observed the brunet. "Yes?"

"Where is Fran?" the blue-haired male was quick to notice the boy was nowhere in sight; Fran had a habit of falling asleep whilst cuddled in against his chest, so it was unusual for the younger illusionist to not be around during bedtime.

"Yamamoto took him home for the night." Tsuna smiled at the older male, hoping Mukuro wouldn't mind.

"I see... Where's Kyouya?"

"In the spare room. Don't bother him tonight, please."

"Please, Tsunayoshi, my heart truly isn't in it tonight." Mukuro sighed. "I would enjoy a peaceful night's rest as well."

The two talked quietly amongst themselves for a few more minutes while Tsuna got ready for bed. It wasn't until the lights had been turned off and the Sky Guardian had made himself comfortable in his bed did they fall silent.

Thinking nothing was out of the ordinary, Tsuna had allowed himself to start drifting off to sleep. He was just about in oblivion before the sounds of Mukuro getting off the futon brought him back to reality, the younger wondering what the illusionist was doing.

"Mukuro-san...?"

Mukuro didn't reply; he instead climbed onto the bed next to Tsuna, leaning over the younger as he pressed their lips together softly, almost as if he was experimenting.

Tsuna froze at the unexpected contact but, unlike last time, it wasn't unwelcome; he had been thinking a lot on the last kiss, deciding it was something he wouldn't mind doing again with the blue-haired teenager.

When Mukuro gathered more confidence, he pressed down harder on the Vongola Decimo's lips, reaching out to caress a soft cheek. He opened his mouth, his tongue asking for entrance, but he didn't push when it wasn't granted; he could respect that maybe it was moving too fast for the younger male.

Pulling away, their hot breath mingled with each other as they searched the darkness for the other's eyes.

"Mukuro-san...?" Tsuna whispered, lifting his hand to touch soft blue locks.

"May I sleep here for tonight, Tsunayoshi?"

"Okay..."

Mukuro laid down once permission was granted, pulling the smaller male against his clothed chest. He sighed in contentment as he felt Tsuna roll around so that the other was snuggling in against him, just glad that the Namimori student had accepted his affections; it had taken a lot for Mukuro to admit to himself now that he was trusting the younger that maybe, just maybe, his emotions ran deeper than being grateful Tsuna had gotten him out of prison.

The illusionist still wasn't one-hundred per cent sure, but whatever he felt for Tsunayoshi made him feel warm inside, as if there was still hope for him to lead a better life.

Closing his eyes, Mukuro soon drifted off into the most peaceful sleep he had had in a long time.

**A/N Just to clear things up; I'm still developing Hibari's feelings and emotions as I don't want to just suddenly throw him in there without logical reasoning. I mean, it's Hibari, and I can't see him suddenly deciding he's in love and whatnot, so I feel it's better to work on him bit-by-bit, if that makes any sense. Not worry, though; this chapter was planned to be the turnaround chapter for him and Tsuna. **


	9. Chapter 9

When Tsuna awoke the next morning, it was to his mother's voice. He blinked as he lifted his head from what he thought was a pillow, only to realise he had actually been resting against the older teenager's chest, Mukuro's arms wrapped around him tightly.

"Ah, Tsu-kun!" As always, Nana seemed overjoyed to see that her son was getting along so well with his friend. "I didn't know you liked sharing your bed with your friends."

Tsuna frowned, noticing that Mukuro was still asleep; the blue-haired teenager looked rather peaceful, his face having been buried in brunet hair. "Mum..."

"You boys should get up and get ready for school; breakfast is almost ready." With that said, Nana had closed the door again as she disappeared downstairs, leaving the two alone.

With a sigh, Tsuna reached out, shaking Mukuro gently. "Mukuro-san...? Mukuro-san, we have to get up now."

A red eye cracked open to look at Tsuna, hazy with sleep. "Do we have to...?"

Stroking blue hair in a soothing manner, Tsuna nodded. "Mum says breakfast is almost ready, and then we have to get ready for school."

Dragging a large hand over his face, Mukuro squeezed his eyes shut tight once more. "I don't want to get up..."

"But if we don't get moving soon, we'll miss the bus to Kokuyo," the Sky Guardian explained gently. "And you know Ken and Chikusa will freak out if you're not in class."

"...That's true..." Snuggling closer to Tsuna, the taller male shook his head. "I'll pass on breakfast today, Tsunayoshi; I would prefer some more rest..."

Tsuna knew the nights didn't come easy to Mukuro; the older male had been tossing and turning all night from nightmares, so it was understandable he was still tired.

"I'll ask mum to make you a bigger lunch, then." Climbing over his guest, Tsuna got off the bed and moved over to the closet across from them, looking for his uniform.

Mukuro lay back down on the bed, rolling onto his side to watch as the smaller male got dressed. He couldn't help but admire how well the Namimori school uniform suited the Vongola Decimo, having always been partial to uniforms – he could shamelessly admit they were one of his turn-ons.

Tsuna, who could feel heterochromatic eyes on him, shivered slightly; he was uncomfortable with the idea of someone watching him change. "M-mukuro-san... I-I'm going to get dressed in the bathroom today..."

Mukuro blinked in surprise before he nodded, letting Tsuna do as he pleased; he could respect the other wanting privacy; he himself didn't like others seeing his body, even if for reasons completely different to Tsuna's.

The thought had never really crossed his mind before, but Mukuro was starting to wonder if he would ever feel comfortable with showing_ anyone _his body as it was, no longer hidden behind illusions to hide every mar on his skin.

Maybe it would take a lot of trust for him to do so, but Mukuro considered the idea of letting Tsuna see every blemish on his body, wondering if maybe, just maybe, the brunet would help him understand it was alright and things weren't going to be that way anymore.

Threading spidery fingers through his oily hair, the teenager grimaced, knowing there had once been a time in his life when his hair had been softer than anything, perfectly clean just like the rest of his body. How long had it been since he had been able to bathe himself properly without the terror?

Too long.

_**~~XX~~**_

It didn't take long for Tsuna to get dressed, and before he went downstairs for breakfast, he moved to the spare room he had given Hibari last night. Knocking politely on the door, he was greeted by silence.

"Hibari-san?" Opening the door slowly, Tsuna prepared himself for anything; he didn't know how the older male would react to his privacy being disturbed like this, but he most certainly didn't want to stress about if anything had happened during the night. "Hibari-san, are you awake...?"

Onyx eyes stared back at the brunet, an unreadable expression on the Prefect's face as Hibari lay on his side, staring at the Vongola Sky.

"Would you like any breakfast, Hibari-san?" Tsuna spoke in a soft voice, knowing Hibari had been through a lot. "I can bring it up for you if you'd rather."

Hibari was silent for a few seconds before he nodded. "Bring it up; I don't crowd with herbivores."

"I'll be back in a moment, Hibari-san." Closing the door softly behind him, Tsuna made his way downstairs, getting a plate filled to take back up to his Cloud Guardian.

Hibari seemed grateful as he accepted the meal just a few minutes later, sitting on the edge of the bed as he placed the plate on his thighs, picking at it slowly. He didn't say anything about Tsuna's presence, instead keeping his attention focused on the food.

"Are you going to school today?" Tsuna leant against the wall as he waited patiently for an answer.

"Of course I am, herbivore." Dark eyes fixed on the brunet for a few seconds before they wandered back down to the food. "Why wouldn't I?"

"...I'm sorry, Hibari-san..." Tsuna knew he shouldn't have thought so less of Hibari to even _ask_ such a question; Hibari was one of the strongest people he knew, and the skylark wouldn't let _anything _get in his way – of _course _Hibari was going to go to school today. "I don't know why I even _thought _that."

"..." Hibari just continued to eat his breakfast in peace, not another word spoken by him.

Tsuna continued to stand by the door, his mind reeling over the fact that, if he were to have both Hibari and Mukuro here, he would _definitely _need to find a way to control them both; they would probably try and kill each other as they always had, and Tsuna didn't want that at all.

It seemed the only thing the Vongola Decimo could try to do was at least get to the bottom of why they resented each other so much – if he knew the story, at least then he could try and work around what was happening with them.

"If you don't mind me asking..." Tsuna scratched his cheek as he glanced away, hoping the older male wouldn't mind his questioning, "...why do you dislike Mukuro-san so much? Is it... because of the first fight you guys had, or...?"

"..." A dark look crossed the skylark's face before he replied. "...The only person I had _ever _lost to in a fight before was my father... Then _he _comes along, and... it really was no different to the things my father had done... I hate him because he reminds me of _him_."

"Mukuro-san isn't like that," Tsuna promised, surprised that he had gotten the Prefect to open up to him so easily; had been trying to protect the skylark and his mother somehow gotten through to him? "He's misunderstood. He just... I think he was just in a bad stage of his life back then."

"I don't care; I hate that pineapple herbivore." Thrusting the now-empty plate towards the Namimori student, Hibari said, "That tastes similar to how my mother once cooked."

"Do you miss her?" Brown eyes widened as Tsuna realised what he had just blurted out; surely _this _was a question that was _far _across the line? "I-I mean -!"

"- She was my mother, herbivore." These words sounded too quiet for Hibari, almost as if it hurt him to talk about this. "I loved her when I was younger, but we drifted because of _him_. Nonetheless, she was still my mother and had always loved me – she wouldn't have always gotten in between us if she didn't."

"I'm really sorry, Hibari-san..." Dropping his head out of respect for the deceased, Tsuna backed away towards the door. "I didn't..."

Hibari stood up, glaring down at the uniform he was wearing. "I am going back to my home to change my clothes, herbivore; I can't go with blood all over me."

Tsuna didn't even try to stop the other; he instead moved out of the doorway as Hibari left, a slight limp to the taller male's gait. He frowned, wishing he knew how he could help his Cloud Guardian, but knowing it was probably better to let the raven come to him first.

Going downstairs to take the plate into the kitchen, Tsuna made a mental note to check on Hibari during school; he didn't want to take any chances and leave the older teenager alone in case something happened.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Don't you get in trouble for wearing that shirt?"

Mukuro blinked at Yamamoto before he shook his head, a yawn escaping his lips. "Of course not; no one speaks to me unless they _have _to. They give me my school work and then go back to pretending I don't exist."

Tsuna felt hurt at these words, knowing the older male probably _hated_ the way he was treated at school. "But you shouldn't put up with that, Mukuro-san..."

"It does not bother me all that much, Tsunayoshi; I get all my work finished and then help Ken and Chikusa with their own; everyone else takes too long on such simple questions because they're too busy talking amongst themselves."

Tsuna offered a shy smile, hardly even noticing as their arms brushed against each other while they walked; having had Yamamoto arrive at the brunet's home earlier with Fran in tow, the three had left for the bus stop together, yet to meet up with Gokudera.

"You should consider moving to Namimori Middle," the Sky Guardian suggested softly. "It's _much _easier while you're staying with me."

"Ah, but I am quite fond of Kokuyo's uniform, kufufu~ It suits me very well, you see? I'm not sure if Namimori Middle will be as complementing to me as Kokuyo. Thank you for the suggestion though, Tsunayoshi; I will keep it in mind."

Tsuna felt a hint of red cross his cheeks as he looked Mukuro up and down, indeed noticing that the other's uniform (even if it were only the jacket as the blue-haired teenager had ditched the green uniform pants for white jeans) did suit the taller male quite well. There was warmth in his stomach he wasn't accustomed to, but he didn't question it; he was too busy noticing that Ken and Chikusa were approaching them, the blond acting much like a dog who hadn't seen its master in days.

"Mukuro-sama!" Ken bounded over to the group, his eyes shining with happiness, while Chikusa just stood slightly off to the side, adjusting his glasses. "Mukuro-sama, we knew you would be okay, byon!"

"Of course I would be, Ken." Tsuna knew Mukuro cared deeply for his friends; there was tenderness in the tallest teenager's words whenever he addressed the other Kokuyo members – Ken especially. "You guys _do _realise you can always come and visit, right?"

"Well... Yeah, but Mukuro-sama...!" The blond pouted, as if he didn't want to argue with the older male. "Mukuro-sama, we don't want to fraternize with the enemy, byon...!"

"Kufufu~ Enemy?" Mukuro smirked, unconsciously stepping closer to Tsuna. They were close enough for the other to share their warmth, their shoulders touching as they stood beneath the shelter of the bus bay. "Ken, you do amuse me."

Ken beamed at these words, turning to talk to Chikusa instead. He had taken no notice whatsoever of the Vongola guardians being so close, instead just glad he could be of such use to his beloved friend.

"Mukuro-san, the bus is coming." Tsuna pointed to their side, disappointed that he had to leave the other so soon; he was greatly enjoying spending time with the illusionist, and now that it didn't feel as if they were mortal enemies, it was very pleasant being with Mukuro.

Mukuro's smile dropped from his face as he nodded. His heterochromatic eyes searched brown ones for a few seconds before he reached out, cupping the sides of Tsuna's face as he leant down, pressing their lips together softly.

Ken made a surprised noise, his eyes almost bulging from their sockets. Chikusa frowned, but remained otherwise emotionless. Yamamoto just laughed as he slung his arms over their shoulders, as cheerful as ever.

"I didn't know you guys kissed!" The baseball addict grinned, a curious glint in his eyes. "How come you're doing it?"

Tsuna's blush darkened as he pulled away from Mukuro, glancing anywhere but at Yamamoto. The blue-haired teenager just scowled at the younger as he straightened his back, an annoyed aura surrounding him.

"Why we're kissing is no one's business but ours, Takeshi..." With that said, Mukuro patted unruly brunet hair before he turned around, heading towards the bus that had just stopped. Ken was questioning the previous act loudly while Chikusa was as quiet as ever, following the other two on-board without a word.

"Hey, Tsuna?" Yamamoto's smile widened as he started walking again now that the bus had left. "Can I know why you guys were kissing?"

"...H-honestly, Yamamoto, I'm really not sure of why we are myself..." Tsuna fidgeted nervously, uncomfortable talking about his new development so soon. "It's just something that's happened, I guess..."

"It's cute." Yamamoto's eyes crinkled at his bright smile. "I didn't know boys kissed each other, though."

"Haven't you ever wanted to kiss someone before?" Tsuna knew his friend was naïve, but he had at least expected for the taller male to understand how romantics worked. "Boys can kiss other boys; there's nothing wrong with that."

"I just never thought about it before, but it's cute." Yamamoto wrapped his arm around the smaller male's shoulders, hugging his friend close.

Tsuna couldn't help but smile, relieved that his friend was already so accepting – he should have never expected anything less from Yamamoto.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Mukuro-sama, why were you kissing that damn mafia, byon?" Ken held a most betrayed look on his face as he prodded at the taller male with a chubby finger. His eyes had lost their usual shine whenever Mukuro was around, instead a look of hurt in them. "I thought you hated him?"

Mukuro, who had his chin in his hand as he stared out of the bus window, turned to give the blond a confused look. "Ken… I don't completely understand it myself, but Tsunayoshi has given me a home for all this time. Maybe… I once _did _hate him… Things are different between us now. …I could be wrong, but… I think we're friends. I think that's what he thinks of us as, and… I like it. I am… _comfortable _with Tsunayoshi; I believe we were wrong to have not trusted him, Ken."

"But why were you _kissing _him, byon? Friends don't kiss each other!"

"You're loud, Ken." Chikusa was quiet as he scolded his friend, trusting Mukuro's judgement in this; he knew the blond was just scared of them all being hurt once more. "Mukuro-sama knows what he's doing."

"I am curious," the blue-haired teenager explained. "As I said, I don't exactly know what we are. I am simply… trying to work my own feelings out."

Ken's frown didn't disappear, but he nodded anyway; he knew Mukuro wouldn't have gotten himself into something he didn't feel comfortable with. "…Well… Alright, byon…"

Mukuro offered a small smile to his friends before he turned his attention back to the outside world.

While it was true he didn't entirely know what to call his relationship with Tsuna, he had an inkling that the emotions he felt towards the one who had taken him in despite everything was more than just friendship – he couldn't be too sure as he was too antisocial to know what romantic feelings felt like, but he was sure he was soon going to find out.

_**~~XX~~**_

One of the perks of having an office no one else would enter without permission was that Hibari could curl up on the comfortable sofa all he wanted and no one would be there to even notice. He had gone home that morning and changed his uniform, and made sure to slip inside the school before anyone would even notice he was there – he wasn't going to let _anyone _see his injuries.

Kusakabe had obeyed when he was ordered to stay out of the office at all times, knowing not to cross the Prefect's wishes unless he wanted to live.

There was much Hibari had to ponder today. He still didn't understand why Tsuna would go to the lengths that he had – what motivation would the brunet have had to _care _about what happened to a family that wasn't _his? _What had gone through the younger's head when Hibari had been offered a place to stay for the night? Treated as if he were a guest that was truly welcome any time?

But most of all, why had Hibari _accepted _the kind notions? Had he just been in too much shock over everything that had happened? Or had his underlying reasons been solely that, having just lost his mother the way he had, he was afraid of losing the only other person who had shown him care?

Hibari knew that out of all the herbivores he had ever come across, Tsuna was unique in the way that, no matter how scared he was of the Prefect, he never seemed to let that get in the way and treated the raven as an equal – as someone Tsuna _truly _cared for.

But where did this leave the skylark's feelings?

With a sigh, Hibari rolled onto his side, wishing that the brunet herbivore wasn't so complicated to work out.


	10. Chapter 10

Within the days that had passed, no one seemed to have heard again from Hibari. Tsuna could respect this, believing the skylark just wanted to be alone for a while until his injuries healed and he could reflect more on what had happened. It hurt him to know that the Prefect was alone now, but he could only hope the older male would have started trusting him enough to eventually come back to his home, if only for a few minutes – Hibari deserved all the love and comfort he could get after everything he had been put through.

"Gah, you stupid fucking – back the fuck off!"

"Now, now, Gokudera."

Tsuna, who had been looking at his phone as he walked with his friends, looked up at Gokudera's outburst and Yamamoto's attempt to soothe him. He wasn't sure what had happened, but everyone seemed to have stopped walking. Mukuro had his usual playful smirk on his face as his heterochromatic eyes shone with amusement, Gokudera was getting in his face as he pulled the older male closer by the front of his shirt, and Yamamoto was trying to pull them apart.

"Guys, what happened?" Tsuna looked down as he felt a tiny hand slip itself into his; Fran was watching the scene with an emotionless gaze, his head cocked slightly to the side.

"This stupid pineapple bastard –"

"Excuse me?" Mukuro narrowed his eyes, annoyance crossing his features.

"- poked me!" As if he were absolutely _outraged _that someone could poke him, Gokudera turned to growl at the blue-haired teenager. "Don't touch me again, you asshole!"

Tsuna frowned as he rubbed at his head, knowing that Gokudera was another guardian the illusionist didn't get along with; it seemed Mukuro had a habit of annoying those he knew he could get a bite out of. "Mukuro-san… Gokudera-kun gets upset easily, so please don't antagonise him; he didn't do anything to you today, did he?"

"Oya oya." Mukuro's smile widened as he shook his head. "Hayato is subtle in the way he treats me; it seems he doesn't want to be near me as if he believes I carry a most horrible disease – he refuses to come near me at all. I thought that maybe I should share my 'disease' with him and see how he likes it."

"Mukuro doesn't have diseases, Gokudera!" Yamamoto laughed, patting the illusionist on the shoulder as if to prove his point. "I touch him all the time, so he's fine."

Tsuna heard Gokudera mutter something under his breath that sounded a lot like a discriminatory slur. However, instead of pulling the Storm Guardian up on it, he instead stuck to defending Mukuro; Yamamoto couldn't have taken offence to something he didn't understand, after all.

"Gokudera-kun, while Mukuro-san is with us, please show him more respect; he's our friend, and deserves to be treated as one."

Mukuro blinked in surprise, having never heard the brunet to refer to him as a 'friend' before. He had believed that was what they were, but part of him was almost too afraid to ask if that _was _the case; he didn't think he would be able to handle it if Tsuna denied it – despite the uncaring façade the illusionist hid behind, he was easily hurt by others' actions, and he didn't want to feel as if his trust had been betrayed once again; that was one of the most painful things one could experience.

"Yeah, we're friends, Gokudera." Yamamoto was as sweet as ever.

Tsuna didn't like the uneasy look on Gokudera's face; he knew the taller male didn't trust easily, and there was, of course, bad blood between he and Mukuro – the brunet would most definitely have to try and explain to his friend that Mukuro_ needed _them to be kind to him and to teach the illusionist how to socialise properly; it was no secret the Mist Guardian really didn't know _how _to be around others.

Mukuro chewed at his lip as he stepped forward, gently prying Fran's hand from Tsuna's. He grabbed the boy beneath the arms, lifting him from the ground in order to carry him away from the group.

"Mukuro-san?" Tsuna worried he may have accidentally upset the older male, or crossed a line he hadn't known existed; it was almost _scary _to see the illusionist walking off, his hair blowing softly with the breeze. "Where are you going?"

The tallest male turned to look over his shoulder as Fran wrapped his arms around his neck. "We're going to get lunch. I'm sure Fran is hungry. We'll meet you there later."

Tsuna wondered if that truly was the other's intention; they had been planning to spend the day together, and lunch had already been discussed – so why was Mukuro suddenly leaving the group like this? Was he going to come back?

_I really hope we didn't offend him when we said he was our friend… _Shaking his head, Tsuna could only trust that the other would come back.

"Why _are _we leaving, Master?" Further down the street, Fran rested his apple illusion against Mukuro's chest, having been rather content staying with the other group. "Are we really going to have lunch?"

"No, Fran." Shaking his head, Mukuro started explaining. "I just… need to clear my thoughts before I go back."

"Why? Because they said you're their friend?" Tiny fingers patted a pale cheek as emerald orbs stared into heterochromatic ones. "Master must be stupid if he needs to clear his mind over that."

Mukuro frowned at the boy, hating how snarky he could be. "Why do you say that…?"

"Because friends are supposed to be a good thing. Master has Ken and Chikusa, so why are you being stupid because of a few more?"

"You wouldn't get it even if I explained it, Fran."

"Master is scared of being alone, I know that. You just don't trust people very much. Master needs all the friends he can get." Nodding to himself, Fran made himself more comfortable in the teenager's arms. "Then maybe Master will stop crying at night."

"…" With a sigh, Mukuro resigned himself to the fact that he had taken in a brat that was _far _too perceptive for a _seven-year-old_. He really had his work cut out for him.

_**~~XX~~**_

It had been a few hours since Mukuro had disappeared, and Tsuna worried about him; he really wanted the illusionist to join them so that the older male could learn to trust them and have fun, but instead, the other had left for seemingly no reason.

_I _really _hope we didn't offend him… _Running his fingers through his brunet locks, Tsuna sighed to himself. _I just… don't see how we _could _have offended him by saying he was our friend…_

"Tsunayoshi…"

Tsuna looked up at Mukuro's voice, finding the teenager standing behind him. He smiled brightly as he patted the grass next to him, inviting the older to sit down. "Mukuro-san, you _did _come back."

Mukuro sat, nursing Fran in his lap as the boy slept peacefully. He shrugged. "Yes, Tsunayoshi. Where are the other two?"

Tsuna pointed over to the baseball nets ahead, Yamamoto's unmistakable figure swinging at balls that looked to be travelling at a very fast pace. "Yamamoto wanted to do a bit of baseball, and Gokudera-kun went off to find a drink stand for us."

Mukuro nodded, patting Fran's apple illusion. He shifted closer to the younger, their arms brushing against each other slightly. "I see."

"I didn't… offend you or anything, did I…?" A look of concern crossed Tsuna's face as he reached out, putting a gentle hand on the taller male's shoulder. "Calling you our friend… That didn't upset you, did it…?"

The illusionist shook his head. "It was just a tad confronting is all, Tsunayoshi; I am not used to having… friends… Ken and Chikusa… We were together right from the start… We went through the same things, so… I guess we never needed to talk about our bonds before… It's something we've never thought about; we just… _knew, _I guess."

"I can get that." Tsuna wished his friend didn't have to suffer as much as he had, but there was nothing he could do to change the past; he could only try and help as best he could.

It was silent between them for a few minutes as the two watched Yamamoto's progress in the batting cage. Neither of them needed to speak; just soaking in the warmth of comfort.

It was Mukuro who made the first move.

Tsuna had been daydreaming pleasantly, only to be snapped out of his thoughts as he felt an arm wrap around his side. He blinked, finding that Mukuro was leaning close to him, slowly embracing the younger in what seemed to be a wary manner.

"Mukuro-san…?" Tsuna didn't move, respecting the fact that he may startle the other if he did. "What's wrong?"

The Mist Guardian bit his lip, stilling in his movements. "I just… wanted to see what it felt like to hug you… I apologise; I should have asked, Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna reached out, stopping his friend when Mukuro tried to pull away. He smiled as he shook his head, returning the arms back around his sides. "Don't apologise, Mukuro-san; you can hug me if you want – I don't mind."

"Are you sure…?" There was doubt in heterochromatic eyes, and the brunet could only wonder if there was self-loathing in Mukuro's mind – it would certainly explain a lot, after all.

"Of course, Mukuro-san." As if to prove his point, Tsuna wrapped his own arms around Mukuro, holding the older close to him. He felt the skinny body in his arms freeze for a few seconds before it relaxed ever-so-slightly, tense as the illusionist returned the embrace.

The Mist Guardian had never felt so warm before. He felt safe in this hug, as if everything he had ever been through had no power over him in this moment. He dropped his cheek onto the top of the brunet's head, closing his eyes as he relaxed a bit more. "Tsunayoshi…"

Neither of them moved, both greatly enjoying this moment in time. In fact, they were both so occupied, neither of them noticed the footsteps approaching them.

"Tenth, I got you a – _Tenth!_"

The two Vongola guardians broke apart as if they had been burned, spinning around to look at Gokudera. The Storm Guardian had a horrified look on his face before it slowly changed to anger, the silver-haired male moving to stand in between them as he shielded the brunet from Mukuro's touch.

"How _dare _you defile the Tenth with your filthy hands, you bastard!" Gokudera roared, dropping the cans he had been carrying over in favour of reaching for some of his bombs. "The Tenth should _never _be touched by someone as disgusting as you!"

"Gokudera-kun, that's enough!" Tsuna found himself ordering; as much as he loved his puppy-like friend, he wasn't going to stand by and let him treat Mukuro as if he were vermin who had no right being within one-hundred feet of the brunet. "I know you don't like Mukuro-san, and I respect that! I don't ask anything more from you except to treat him with some decency, but you can't even listen to me, Gokudera-kun! Mukuro-san has just as much right to be this close to me as you, or any of the others do! Just because you don't like it, _doesn't _give you the right to talk to him like this!"

Mukuro just stared in shocked silence, having never had someone stand up for him like this. He wrapped an arm around Fran's waist as the boy stirred at the commotion, emerald eyes blinking in confusion.

"Master…?"

Mukuro raised a finger to the boy's lip, silencing him. "Shh…"

Gokudera was also surprised, dropping his head in shame; he had only wanted to look out for his beloved boss, but… it seemed that today, Tsuna hadn't appreciated his effort.

Dropping himself to his hands and knees in sorry, Gokudera whispered, "Sincerest apologies, Tenth…"

Tsuna offered a small smile as he shook his head, speaking in a soft tone. "Don't apologise to me, Gokudera-kun; apologise to Mukuro-san."

Gokudera bit his lip as he looked at the older male with hard eyes, wanting nothing more than to hit the illusionist – but if Tsuna had said to…

"…S-sorry, you fucking bastard…"

"Gokudera-kun…"

"…I'm sorry…"

Mukuro dropped his head as he let his eyes slip closed. He sighed. "It's okay, Hayato…"

"Thank you, Gokudera-kun." Picking up the two cans his friend had dropped, Tsuna asked, "Will you go get another can for Mukuro-san and Yamamoto?"

The Storm Guardian looked as if he wanted to deny the request, but he nodded and got up anyway. Mukuro patted Fran's back as he dropped his head to Tsuna's shoulder.

"You didn't have to do that, you know…" Mukuro was tired, sick of being treated so badly wherever he went.

"Of course I did; you're my friend, and I wasn't going to let _anyone _talk to you like that." The brunet played with blue strands of hair.

"If he reacted so badly to a simple hug, I'd hate to see what he does if he ever finds out we've kissed. Kufufu~"

"That's why I don't want to tell him about that just yet." Tsuna laughed softly to himself. "He really has a temper."

Mukuro nodded, feeling Fran curl back in against him and return to his slumber. "Tsunayoshi… I'm tired of being treated like that…"

"I know you would be…" Tsuna leant down, pressing his lips against Mukuro's. "I know…"

Tsuna knew it wouldn't have been easy for the other to admit what he just had, so it made him feel warm inside to know that the illusionist was starting to trust him bit-by-bit with each passing day.


	11. Chapter 11

**I must admit; this chapter was actually quite difficult to write. I like it, however, so I guess that's the important thing. **

Two weeks had passed since Hibari had lost his parents, and now that his injuries had faded enough to not be noticed easily, he had started going about his duties as Prefect once again.

Today, the skylark had just been notified of a new student joining Namimori Middle, and when he was shown the documents, he couldn't help but feel his heart start to race in anger as he realised a certain pineapple herbivore thought he could defile _his _school with his presence.

Storming out towards where the classrooms were, Hibari realised it was lunchtime. He quickly changed course, knowing that if the pineapple herbivore was going to be anywhere, it would be with _that_ group.

Tsuna and his friends were easy enough to find; they were all sitting out in the grounds together, the pineapple included. What bothered the skylark even more than him being there was the fact that the other clearly had no respect for the school uniform as the herbivore's mist-patterned shirt was hanging out beneath the white button-up one, and what should have been dark pants were, in fact the same white jeans the pineapple had worn every other time they had come into contact recently. At least the younger male could wear the blue jacket and tie correctly…

"Pineapple herbivore." Hibari watched the taller male's eye twitch before heterochromatic orbs fixed onto his. The chocolate bar Mukuro had been eating was lowered, that same playful smirk crossing his face as he regarded the skylark. "Who gave you permission to enrol in this school?"

"I don't know, Kyouya; I guess whoever did the interview and later added me into the system." The illusionist chuckled softly at his words, lifting his chocolate bar back to his lips in order to take a bite. "Is that good enough for you?"

"You are _not _stepping _foot _into this school, herbivore," Hibari growled, whipping his tonfa out into view. "Leave, before I remove you myself."

"Oya oya." Mukuro got to his feet, towering over the older male. "I suppose we can do it this way."

"Hiee!" Tsuna jumped up as well, stepping in between the two before anyone could do anything. "No! Don't fight!"

Mukuro blinked down at the younger as he cocked his head to the side, taking a step backwards. Hibari lowered his tonfa, but still looked to be on the offensive – it was a miracle he had even put his weapons away; Tuna believed he _must _finally be making progress with the skylark.

"Don't get in the way, herbivore." Hibari's dark eyes locked onto brown ones. "This doesn't concern you."

"It _does _concern me as you both are people I care about!" Tsuna tried to explain. "I don't want you guys to fight!"

Hibari stopped, mulling over these words; while it _did _seem that the brunet herbivore _somewhat _cared, why would he get in the way of their fight? For the same reason he did with the skylark's parents? Because he didn't want to see friends he cared for being hurt? By each other, no less?

Just when the Prefect was about to step back and drop the fight, Mukuro spoke.

"Don't get it all wrong, Kyouya; Tsunayoshi likes _me _more than he does you." Heterochromatic eyes glinted with amusement before Mukuro dodged the tonfa that had just come out of nowhere at him. "Kufufu~ Don't be jealous, Kyouya~ I'd share, but I don't like people touching what is mine."

Hibari again tried to attack the illusionist, only to have Yamamoto pull him away while Tsuna scrambled to get back in between them.

"M-mukuro-san!" The Vongola Decimo instinctively put his hands on the taller male's chest, pushing his Mist Guardian away. "Mukuro-san, stop! Don't antagonise him!"

"That herbivore would _never _favour someone like you," the skylark replied back in a defensive manner. "Don't think so highly of yourself, pineapple herbivore."

"_Stop!_" Tsuna palmed his face as he shook his head, upset that the two older males were fighting over him. "Stop it! This isn't… Stop fighting!"

No one spoke for several seconds, until Mukuro broke the uncomfortable silence. "But I _am _your favourite, aren't I, Tsunayoshi?"

"You bastard, _I'm _his favourite!" Tsuna knew he should have expected for Gokudera to argue about this, but enough was enough…!

"Gokudera-kun, I don't _have _favourites!" The brunet looked so stressed right now, it was enough for everyone to stop talking. "I love _all _of you, but… don't make me choose between _any _of you… because… Because you're _all _important to me! I love you all for different reasons, and I couldn't ever pick one over the rest!"

"You don't choose favourites…?" Hibari raised an eyebrow, not understanding this; weren't favourites something everyone played? Letting his eyes drift to Mukuro, he found the younger male looked as confused as he felt; heterochromatic eyes were looking downwards as the usual playful smile was gone, replaced instead by a frown. "…So that means… I am on the same level… as _him…?_"

"More or less…" Tsuna hoped he wasn't saying the wrong thing, but he truly _was _being honest; he cared for his friends all the same and didn't want to pick his favourites out of them – they all had their flaws, but that mattered none to him. "You're _all _on the same level, so please don't feel offended, Hibari-san…"

"But the pineapple herbivore is still no better than any of the _others_, right?" Hibari felt worried at this thought, not wanting someone he hated so much to be held in higher regards than someone _slightly _tolerable.

"Of course not, Hibari-san; no one is better than anyone." Tsuna relaxed, sensing the deadly aura dissipating – or at least it was, until Yamamoto spoke.

"How come you kiss Mukuro, but no one else?" The innocence in that question was overwhelming, but it took just a split second for both Gokudera and Hibari to try and push past the brunet towards Mukuro, tonfa raised threateningly as the silver-haired teenager shouted death threats.

"Hiee! Stop!" Tsuna had managed to push Gokudera away from the Mist Guardian, and Yamamoto was restraining the Cloud. Neither of them looked happy at all, and Mukuro looked like a deer caught in headlights. "Stop! This isn't – _stop_!"

Everyone froze at the brunet's shout, knowing that, right now, the Vongola Decimo was _not _playing around.

"What I do with Mukuro-san is _our _business!" the brunet explained, in a rougher tone than he had meant. "It doesn't mean I like him more or _anything _of the sort! It just means we have that kind of relationship! We haven't taken it any further than just experimenting, so don't act as if I'm suddenly going to abandon you all, because I _won't!_ Whatever my relationship becomes with him, _no one _is going to be treated any differently! So don't… Don't make me feel like _we're _the bad ones just because we're comfortable with each other…"

No one said a word, having not expected meek little Tsuna to explode like this. Hibari was the first one to react, grabbing Tsuna by his blue sweater and tugging the younger away. Thunder roared in the distance as lightning crackled through the sky, making the brunet feel as if he were being led to his death.

When Hibari stopped walking, it was when they had made it to the front of the school, far enough away from the group that they could talk in private.

"You don't hold romantic feelings for him?" Hibari was quiet, trying to understand how things were.

"…I… I don't know just yet, Hibari-san…" Tsuna looked to the side, feeling as if he were being judged beneath the other's gaze. "Mukuro-san… I'm trying to help Mukuro-san… I know I care about him, but… I don't really know what I'm feeling… It's foreign."

"But yet you let him kiss you?" The skylark was confused greatly, Tsuna knew; it was as if Hibari didn't understand that people could kiss and not be dating. "Why?"

"We're trying to sort out our own feelings, Hibari-san." The Sky Guardian was tender as he explained things. "Mukuro-san… has been hurt badly. He's only just starting to trust, so… I'm letting him go at his own pace."

Raising a hand, Hibari's slender fingers stayed just a few inches from soft skin. "Do you let him touch you?"

"T-touch me?" Tsuna shifted uneasily at what this question implied, hoping the older male meant in an innocent manner. "I… We've never done more than hugging…"

Hibari blinked. Without asking for permission, he closed the distance between their skin, ghosting his fingertips over soft lips. There was a pained expression visible in his eyes, one that told Tsuna the older male had probably never touched someone so gently before.

"Why would you let such a herbivore taint you…?" Hibari pulled his hand back to his person, waiting for the answer.

Tsuna chewed at his lip before he started to explain. "I – S-sorry, Hibari-san, but was that a rain drop just then?"

"What else would it have been?" The skylark didn't understand this question, not sure why the other would suddenly start talking about the weather.

"I'm really sorry, Hibari-san, but Mukuro-san…!" Turning back around, Tsuna quickly made his way back to his friends, just in time to see the blue-haired teenager pull his knees to his chest, a faraway look in his eyes as he hugged his legs, dropping his chin to them. He was frowning, visible tremors assaulting his scrawny body. "Mukuro-san!"

Yamamoto, who was kneeling next to the older male with a concerned look on his face, turned to look at Tsuna. "Tsuna…"

Gokudera stood by the scene, uncaring as his best friend knelt by the other two. He watched Tsuna reach out to touch a now-pale face, grimacing as he looked anywhere but at the sickening scene; Tsuna didn't need to be so good to someone who didn't deserve his attention.

"What's wrong with him, herbivore?"

Everyone jumped at Hibari's voice, having not expected the skylark to return. They looked up at him, finding that he was watching them with emotionless eyes.

"Water… does this to him…" Tsuna tried to explain, still not entirely sure of what was going on himself. "It puts him in a really bad state, where he's not himself… We need to get him inside. Yamamoto, can you carry him?"

Yamamoto nodded. He scooped the seemingly-frail body up into his arms before he got to his feet, waiting patiently for Tsuna to lead the way.

"There are no open classrooms for you to occupy," Hibari pointed out, almost as if he was trying to understand the youngers' intentions properly. "What do you plan to do with him?"

"Get him out of the rain at least," the brunet clarified. "We can't leave him out here; it'll only make him worse."

Closing his eyes, Hibari pulled a set of keys from his pocket, passing them to the Vongola Sky. "_You _may use my office. No one goes in there without permission, so you won't be bothered. But the _other _two herbivores are to stay out. Just you, and the pineapple herbivore until he can leave."

"Thank you, Hibari-san." Tsuna smiled appreciatively at the older male as he accepted the keys, knowing it had taken a lot for the skylark to trust him with this. "We won't stay for any longer than we have to; I promise."

"See to it that you don't." With that said, Hibari was gone.

"Tenth, are you really going to make us leave?" Gokudera looked as betrayed as he felt, his eyes sadder than they had been in a long time.

"Gokudera-kun, it's Hibari-san's office and if he's asked for you two to stay out, than you should respect his wishes – it wouldn't have been easy for him to volunteer the room, especially for _Mukuro-san_. I promise as soon as Mukuro-san's better, we'll find something for us to do, okay?"

Gokudera smiled as he nodded, eagerly following the smaller male as they walked to Hibari's office. It wasn't like it was going to be _all _day, and Tsuna wasn't going to be ditching them after all. He could deal with this, as long as it wasn't going to be a regular occurrence.

_**~~XX~~**_

_Why did I even offer my office to them? _Hibari pushed through the groups of students as he walked through the school corridors, knowing that, because classes were just about to start again, the herbivores should be gone already. _It's not like I care one bit about the pineapple herbivore, after all. …But seeing him like that, and… how worried the Sawada herbivore was… _

Ascending the stairs was faster than Hibari remembered, his stress making him move quicker. He didn't know what on Earth had possessed him to help his arch nemesis like this, but he had his suspicions; seeing Mukuro in such a vulnerable position, nothing at all like the Kokuyo student who had gone toe-to-toe with him… The anger and hatred that had always been there had been absent in that moment of time, instead replaced by one of pity; Hibari would never admit it to _anyone, _but he had once spent a lot of his time in that very same position, curled up in the corner of his bedroom as he pleaded with whatever higher being would listen to make the fighting stop.

The skylark remembered only too well what it was like to feel so afraid, you wanted the earth to open up and swallow you, even if it had been many years since he had last felt that same fear - the memory was still there, and that was all that mattered. The fear that Mukuro had been feeling was all too obvious to Hibari, and for once, he found himself taking pity.

Opening the door to his office, Hibari was quickly met by the sight of Mukuro, still fast asleep on the couch, while Tsuna sat on the other end, a phone to his ear. The brunet looked uneasy as he stuttered to whoever was on the other line, and this peaked Hibari's interest; the Vongola Sky knew the punishment for using schools during class hours, and yet he was doing it anyway – it must be one important call if he was willing to risk being bitten to death.

"A-ah, but…!" Tsuna was as timid as ever, almost as if whoever he was speaking to was right in front of him and willing to punch him – then again, that _could _have been the case as whoever was on the other line was shouting loud enough for Hibari to hear. "B-but, I… I have one – m-maybe two – that… that won't get on a plane…!"

Hibari cocked his head to the side as he leant against the wall, his arms folding against his chest as he watched with unbridled interest; the smirk on his face was enough to give away his amusement.

"I-I can't make them…! They'll beat me up otherwise…! B-but…!" Lowering the phone from his ear, Tsuna squeaked as he tried to gather the courage to talk to Hibari. "I-I know I s-shouldn't be on the phone, H-hibari-san, but…! I-I, uh… Would you… possibly… get on a plane to Italy…?"

The look on Hibari's face must have been a frightening one in his confusion, because Tsuna squeaked again before clearing up his intentions.

"I-I mean… with us, Hibari-san…!" Tsuna started to shake wildly, as if he expected the other to beat the absolute shit out of him for even _suggesting _crowding with herbivores.

Hibari blinked before he shrugged. If Tsuna thought he would _dare _crowd around for _him… _

To Tsuna's immense shock, the skylark nodded. He was certain he was going to have a heart attack, having not expected this _at all_. Was it that… Hibari was actually starting to _listen _to him…?


	12. Chapter 12

**Some of you guys have pointed out a typo last chapter in which I kind of forgot to put the 's' in Tsuna. Yeah. That was an accident. I had added that sentence in last second as I was reading over the chapter before uploading it, and didn't check THAT sentence for errors. Sorry about that.**

**Just a warning for this chapter; though it's not **_**too **_**graphic, there is physical and sexual abuse in this chapter. If it upsets you, you'll easily work out what to skip, or just PM me and I can summarise the chapter for you. **

What had originally seemed like an impossible feat to Tsuna had actually turned out to be rather easy; to his shock, he had managed to get every one of his guardians on a plane with minimal fuss. The brunet was pretty sure it had something to do with the fact that Dino had flown to Japan to accompany them back, as well as having taken the trouble of booking out every single seat available on the flight. While Hibari had stayed as far away as possible from everyone else with only Dino to sit by him, Mukuro had been content as long as he got to sit next to Tsuna. Fran had, of course, sat on the blue-haired teenager's lap and insulted everyone around him for the entire trip, but the Vongola Sky didn't have the heart to scold him.

And now, having gotten out of the limousine that had been waiting at Italy's airport for them, the Vongola guardians stood outside a _very _large mansion. The garden itself surrounded the building, a water fountain in the middle of the circular area just after the long, winding driveway. The front door was raised slightly off the ground, a few steps leading up to a small porch, and the countless array of windows visible from this viewing point made the group wonder just how expensive this place must be.

"What are we doing here again, Tenth?" Gokudera was frowning, having only returned back to Italy due to his boss' orders; this country wasn't one he felt comfortable in – he _hated _it with every fibre of his being. Mukuro felt likewise, even if he hadn't said it outright.

"I thought it would be a good idea for you all to learn how to work with the Varia in case a mission ever arises where you have to work together." Reborn was perched on Yamamoto's shoulder, Leon on his finger. "I went to the trouble of contacting Squalo and organising this."

"And they actually agreed?" Tsuna couldn't believe that; he was almost certain the Varia would want nothing to do with them – unless they were planning to slaughter them all in their sleep… Now _that _was more likely.

"They had a very _loud _protest when Squalo declined originally." Reborn shrugged as he put Leon back onto his fedora. "Princes can't handle not getting their way; it was expected of Squalo to give in just to shut him up."

"Why would _Belphegor _want us here?" Tsuna felt certain that at least _one _of them wasn't going to come out of this alive – not with the blond Storm Guardian around, anyway.

"It's his birthday today, and he wanted 'peasants' to 'play with'. I'd be careful around him if I were you."

"You don't have to tell _us _that, Reborn…" Gokudera looked uneasy, but he said nothing more on the subject.

Dino, who had been waiting until everyone had gotten their belongings from the limo, gathered the group's attention. "They're waiting for us in the meeting hall. Try not to break anything on your way in or Squalo's going to have another fit." The irony of this statement was all too obvious when, seconds later, the blond turned around to walk into the mansion, only to trip over seemingly nothing and knock over a small statue that had been sitting in the garden next to the door. The sound of it shattering filled the air, only to usher everyone inside out of fear of Squalo's anger if he were to come out and discover it.

The front hall of the mansion was a large space, a few potted plants here and there while a huge staircase led up to the other floors. Doorways branched off here and there, and Tsuna was almost too afraid to get separated from Dino lest he become lost within seconds and never find his way out.

"The meeting hall is just past the staircase," Dino explained, leading the teenagers across the shining marble floor and through the small area beneath the stairwell.

Tsuna walked with Mukuro by his side. He could sense the older male's discomfort, the illusionist tense as he chewed at his lip.

Reaching out, the brunet put a hand on the taller male's side. "Are you okay, Mukuro-san?"

"I never wanted to come back to Italy…" The Mist Guardian sighed as he shook his head, his eyes shining with sadness. "This is a very painful country for me… Too much has happened here… That's why Ken and Chikusa didn't accompany me…"

"I understand," Tsuna promised. He didn't move when a hand slipped itself into his hold, as patient as ever with his friend. "It'll be different this time; I'm sure of it."

Mukuro nodded, moving closer to the younger. Glancing behind them, Tsuna wasn't surprised to find Hibari at the rear of the group – but at least the skylark was following them, right?

When Cavallone pushed open the double doors to the meeting hall, Tsuna was met by the sight of a large table in the middle of the room, the Varia seated around it. The curtains were all closed, leaving the room almost completely in shadow. Six set of eyes fixed on the newcomers, and Tsuna felt as if he were being eaten alive.

"Lightning trash." Tsuna flinched at the unmistakable husk of Xanxus. "Draw the curtains."

"Yes, boss!" As always, the Varia Lightning was ready to please.

The Vongola stayed by the door until there was a decent amount of light in the room, before heading over to the couches pressed against the walls at Lussuria's kind instructions.

Tsuna, knowing he was supposed to be the one doing the talking as _he _was the one with the Vongola Tenth title hanging over his head, laughed nervously as he struggled to find something to say. Once he and the rest of his group were seated comfortably, he blurted out the first thing to come to his mind.

"How's your heart, Squalo? Hiee!" Squeaking when the long-haired Rain Guardian shouted, Tsuna instinctively hid behind his hands.

"Voi!" Squalo slammed his hands down on the table, his dark eyes glinting with annoyance. "It's fucking fine, you brat!"

"Should you really be getting worked up like this?! What if you have a heart attack?!" Tsuna's eyes widened as he slapped his hands over his mouth, knowing he was only making things worse.

"Voi! You little fucking – Voi! Xanxus!" Squalo's attention quickly turned to his boss as he felt a wineglass smash against his head, soaking his silver strands with wine.

"Shut the fuck up, trash." Xanxus was lazing back in his chair, his booted feet up on the table. He glared at his second-in-command angrily, agitated immensely by how this meeting was going. "Do your job."

"It's _your _fucking job, you lazy prick! _You're _the boss!"

Dino stood up from the couch he was sharing with Hibari and Gokudera, raising his hands in defence as he approached the two arguing guardians. "Squalo, I'm sure you want this over and done with as soon as possible, just like we do; I'm positive it'll be over faster if you handle it."

Squalo snorted, acknowledging that as a fact; Xanxus would probably only demand steak and wine, never getting to the actual point – there was a reason he had been appointed as second-in-command, after all.

"Well, you've got a point, Bucking Horse." Making himself more comfortable in his chair, Squalo started. "The Arcobaleno requested for group training. I agreed on the –"

"- No, you didn't, Squ!" The Varia Storm denied, a childish pout crossing his face. "_I _made you agree because it's the prince's _birthday_!"

"What-fucking-ever!" Squalo snapped at the boy. "Who gives a fucking damn _why _I agreed?! They're here, aren't they?!"

"Ushishi~" Obscured eyes raked over the group hungrily, a pink tongue licking pale lips eagerly.

"Anyway; _another _fucking reason why you're here is for us to train together." Squalo pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, tossing it onto the table in an almost bored manner. "Groups are as they're written down. Look at it in your spare time and familiarise yourself with your new fucking partner."

Fran was quickly growing bored of this meeting already; there were only so many times he could tug on blue hair in a day before it got boring. "Master…"

When no reply came from the older illusionist, Fran looked up at the other, finding the teenager was asleep already; eyes closed as Mukuro's head rested against Tsuna's shoulder.

Sliding himself off the warm lap, Fran wandered from the meeting hall, trying to find something to do; he became bored easily, and he _hated _being unentertained. Belphegor's eyes followed the younger's every move, eventually excusing himself with the pretence of getting a drink – however, the blond skipped past the kitchen completely, playing what he labelled as a game of hide-and-seek while he sought out the illusionist, also needing something to stimulate his mind.

While no one else seemed to have noticed Fran had left, Hibari had; his dark eyes had followed the teal-haired male from the room, quickly becoming suspicious as Belphegor left as well. Standing up, the skylark didn't reply when he was asked where he was going; he instead went to find Fran before the blond did.

_**~~XX~~**_

"What are we doing in here?" Fran blinked up at Belphegor, having been led into the older male's bedroom. He stood by the door in uncertainty, watching the blond head towards the king-size bed decorated with blood-red silk sheets and matching pillows. He tilted his head when the other gestured for him to follow, his tiny feet carrying him over warily. "…"

"Climb up." The Varia Storm patted the mattress, moving over to give the boy room. He drank in the sight of the illusionist getting on the bed, feeling the familiar stirring in his groin. He waited until Fran was next to him, the younger's guard down, before he pushed the tiny body into a laying position, straddling small hips to keep Fran down.

"I-I should go b-back to Master now…" Fran didn't understand why this position frightened him so much, but it sent a sliver of horror through him, as if being held down like this could end his life any second. Trying to shove the teenager off him, Fran only resulted in having his wrists grabbed and held above his head, stilling any form of struggle he could have put up. "Please… Let me go…"

Belphegor shook his head. He leaned down, pressing his mouth against an exposed throat. He drew a whimper from his victim as he bit down, his teeth breaking skin and drawing blood. He lapped it up eagerly as he withdrew a knife from one of his pockets, sliding it beneath the red shirt the boy was wearing.

"D-don't…" Fran squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the tip of the blade dance along his stomach, trying to get away once more. "Get off…! Master!"

Belphegor pressed the blade down further, dragging it through soft skin still thick with baby fat. Blood dripped down onto the blankets, tears welling up in Fran's emerald orbs as he cried out for Mukuro.

The older male just sneered as he drank in as much blood as he could, creating fresh cuts on the kid as he went. His hands undressed the youngest as they went, eventually fiddling with his own belt so that he could give his straining arousal room to breathe.

"Let me go!" Fran was barely aware of the scream escaping his lips, squeezing his eyes shut as he felt his face being slapped hard.

"The prince gets birthday sex _every _birthday," the blond hissed angrily. "I get sex with _who _I want, _where _I want, _when_ I want, you stupid toad."

Fran was crying hard, begging to go back to Mukuro, his fragile body stained with blood. He didn't understand why warm hands were touching his groin, or why Belphegor had suddenly shoved his own inside his body; all he knew was that he was _terrified_.

_**~~XX~~**_

Hibari had scoured the first floor for Fran, but when it became clear that the boy wasn't down there, he had gone up each floor consecutively until he eventually heard the unmistakable sounds of the kid screaming for Mukuro. Whipping his tonfa out, the skylark followed the sounds until he was standing outside the door of the room Fran was in.

There was a lot that Hibari had been prepared to see, but _this _was not one of them; he was _truly _disgusted by what was happening, and for once, he genuinely wanted to help Fran – he would _never _leave someone to suffer such a sick fate.

"Get off him." Hibari's soft voice had made Belphegor still, the blond looking over his shoulder.

Belphegor was quick to scramble off the illusionist, pulling out carelessly. He raised his hands in defence, knowing he didn't have the advantage when it came to Hibari and was better off not causing a scene – if any of the others walked in on them…

Hibari was silent as he crossed the room. He shrugged his black jacket from his shoulders before he lowered it, wrapping the shaking body in it as he pulled Fran in against his chest.

"M-master…!" Fran buried his tear-stained face against Hibari's chest as he grasped tightly at the skylark's shirt, quivering violently as blood continued to seep from him in all directions. "Master…!"

Hibari made sure the other's body was covered, not wanting anyone to see the blood and semen that coated the scrawny male; this must have been happening for a while before he had found them.

The Prefect left the room without a word, knowing he didn't need to waste his energy on Belphegor just yet; he was certain there would be a room full of people who would handle it instead.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Ah, but Squalo-san, I don't think you understand…" Tsuna frowned as he regarded the Varia, almost too afraid to challenge their orders but knowing he had to for Hibari's sake – after the older male had put himself out of his comfort zone just to come here with them, there was no way Tsuna was going to let the skylark have to put up with being around people he didn't respect. "Hibari-san just doesn't like people; if you want to make the groups even, please place him with Dino-san – Hibari-san seems to somewhat respect him."

"He will – what the fuck is that?" Squalo, who was not used to hearing the cries of a kid in the fucking _mansion, _stood up from his seat and moved to the doorway. He blinked as he noticed Hibari carrying Fran back to them, a blank expression on the skylark's face.

"Voi! What the fuck happened?!" Squalo stepped back, giving the Cloud Guardian room to enter.

"Ask your blond herbivore," Hibari hissed, walking over to Tsuna and Mukuro.

Squalo frowned at these words before he followed the teenager. "He didn't…" Reaching out to confirm his suspicions, the long-haired man shifted the jacket, finding what he was afraid of; their Storm Guardian was _very _unstable, and it wasn't the first time something like this had happened.

Sharing one look with his Rain Guardian, Xanxus got off his own seat, a furious look crossing his face. "I'll fucking kill him!"

Lussuria looked very concerned as he made his way towards Fran, Mammon floating behind him. The Varia Sun took the crying boy into his arms, checking over the youngest to see what kind of medical attention was needed. Squalo chased after Xanxus, ready to kick the absolute shit out of their guardian.

"What happened, Hibari-san?" By now, the rest of the Vongola Guardians had crowded, making Hibari feel _very _uncomfortable – but he stayed, solely because he _knew _they needed to know what had happened. Tsuna shook the oldest illusionist awake, explaining to him that something had happened to Fran.

"What…?" Heterochromatic eyes blinked tiredly as they looked around, widening seconds later when he heard his charge's cries and the unfamiliar voice trying to soothe Fran. "Fran?!"

"Mukuro-san…" Tsuna patted blue locks as Hibari leant down to eye-level with the sitting male.

"That blond herbivore abused him," Hibari explained quietly, anger evident in his tone. "I took him away."

Mukuro only had to take one look at Fran, splayed out on the table as Lussuria and Mammon – quickly joined by Dino and Yamamoto - checked how deep the lacerations were, the boy's horror clear. He felt tears well up in his eyes, knowing the fear Fran was going through only too well.

"Kyouya…" Mukuro leaned forward, wrapping his arms tightly around the Prefect. He sobbed into the older male's chest, gripping tight the smaller male's white shirt. "Kyouya, you… You got him away…?"

Hibari was awfully tense, not used to this kind of contact at all – much less with someone he _hated_. "…"

"Thank you…" The illusionist's shoulders heaved with stress, just glad that someone had been there in order to save Fran. He knew _he _should have been the one to protect the boy as Fran was_ his _responsibility, but instead, he had been sleeping. He felt useless, but he knew he shouldn't be kicking himself – he didn't know this was going to happen. "Kyouya… Thank you… Thank you…"

Hibari bit down on his lip, only becoming stiffer – never before had he been in this situation, and he didn't think it would _ever _happen. Awkwardly – _very _awkwardly – the skylark patted the Mist Guardian's head, clearing his throat in uneasiness; now was _not _the time for grudges or anything of the sort.

Tsuna watched the two, wishing they had been able to get along like this _without _such drastic events having happened. He went to speak to the two, only to flinch as Belphegor's ear-splitting scream filled the air, followed instantly by loud crashes and Xanxus and Squalo's shouts. It continued on for almost fifteen minutes until it suddenly went quiet and everyone was left wondering if the Varia Storm was still _alive_.

Fran had already been taken to the infirmary, leaving the Vongola Guardians to themselves. The two arch nemeses had sat down on the couch, Hibari's arms wrapped loosely around Mukuro as heterochromatic eyes stared blankly ahead, spidery fingers still clutching the Prefect's shirt tightly. He sniffed every now and then, but the comfort he was getting was rather overwhelming, considering who it was coming from.

Even Hibari seemed peaceful in this moment, satisfied that Fran was being looked after and his assaulter had gotten what was coming to him. Just this once, he could be the one giving comfort – this moment called for it, and Hibari wasn't _that _cruel.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Tsunayoshi…"

Tsuna had stepped into the room designated to Mukuro that night. The illusionist was sitting on the bed, his back against the headboard, as he nursed Fran carefully. The boy had only just been returned to his guardian, having been on a drip to try and compensate for the large amount of blood that had been lost.

"How is he?"

"He's having nightmares…" Mukuro sighed as he ran his fingers through his blue locks. "Physically, everyone thinks he's going to be fine, but mentally…? I don't know, Tsunayoshi…"

Tsuna closed the door behind him as he made his way over to the bed. He climbed onto the soft mattress, taking the older male in a gentle hug. Mukuro fell into it instantly, letting his head drop against a frail shoulder.

"Tsunayoshi…"

"Why don't you go to sleep?" the brunet suggested gently, reaching out to pat Fran's head. "I'll stay with you."

"Thank you, Tsunayoshi…" Laying Fran down ever-so-gently, Mukuro adjusted the boy so that the younger's head rested on his chest. He then pressed himself close to Tsuna, soaking in the comfort he so desperately needed. "I really hate Italy, Tsunayoshi… Bad things only ever happen here…"

"I'm sure there are good things, too, Mukuro-san." Tsuna was willing to listen, knowing Mukuro's past was something _not _to be locked up inside of him forever. "You met Ken and Chikusa here, so that's a good thing, right?"

"The _only _good thing… Tsunayoshi… What they did to us…" Mukuro shook his head, sliding his hand down to the bandages that now adorned Fran's tiny body. "...My father… My father was the one in charge of my experimentation… It was only fitting, I guess; he seemed to like kicking me around before all of that anyway… He never did anything to numb any of the pain; he'd cut me open all the time, and I'd feel it all… Even… with this eye… They did it while I was awake and feeling everything… They tore my other eye out and replaced it instead with this one… I'm blind in my right eye, Tsunayoshi…"

"Mukuro-san…"

"Ken and Chikusa have already told you I was very quiet when we were still _here_?' A mournful laugh escaped the illusionist's lips at this, closing his eyes. "…I had been abused so badly, I had _never_ spoken until I had killed them all… Not a word… I took everything in silence, no matter how much it hurt… Inside and out… I spent all that time wanting to die, but… instead I took _them _out… It's been a long time since I've felt that way, but… with everything that's happened… I'm tired, Tsunayoshi…"

"I'm so sorry, Mukuro-san…" Tsuna leant down, kissing the other's forehead. "Get some sleep; you're going to need it."

Mukuro reached out, squeezing the much smaller hand in his. "Thank you for listening, Tsunayoshi… I very much appreciate it…"

"Anytime, Mukuro-san." With that said, Tsuna made himself more comfortable, the warmth of the scrawny body next to him comforting.

While it didn't take long for Mukuro to drift into sleep, it came harder for Tsuna; he was thinking about Mukuro, his past and the pain he still felt to this day. He was scared of not being able to help, wanting nothing more than for the Mist Guardian to be able to live without suffering like this.

Was it possible, or would Tsuna be as useless as ever?

"Herbivore."

Tsuna looked up, having not even noticed the door opening. Hibari stood there for a few seconds more before he closed the distance between them. "What's wrong, Hibari-san?"

"…" Dark eyes looked over Mukuro and Fran carefully, not wanting to admit that he had been worried about them. Once he was satisfied that nothing further had happened during his absence, he turned his attention to Tsuna. "They're fine."

"Mostly." Tsuna didn't ask why the other had sat down on the couch across from the bed; he didn't think it was important – all that mattered was that the skylark had found it in himself to be _somewhat _concerned. "I think they'll both be fine in future, though."

Hibari nodded, pleased with this answer. "I may sleep here tonight?"

"If you want to, that's fine, Hibari-san." Tsuna was surprised when the other laid down on the black couch, dark eyes closing without another word.

_Well… _Tsuna yawned as he let his own eyes slip shut as well, _…if everyone else is sleeping, I may as well get some rest as well. _

With that, Tsuna was fast asleep himself.


	13. Chapter 13

When Tsuna awoke the next morning, it was to Squalo almost breaking the bedroom door down as he walked in.

"Voi!" Even though it was morning, the Varia Rain was still as loud as ever. "Why the fuck are all you shitty brats in the one room? Did you have an orgy or something?"

When silence greeted Squalo, the man instead brought up a different topic. His dark eyes wandered over to Fran, gauging how the youngest was at this moment.

"How's the brat?" Squalo didn't often care much for these kinds of things, but even _he _knew a line had been crossed when his own Storm Guardian had done it to a _seven-year-old _ally – one that had been part of their team in the future, no less.

"He's had nightmares all night…" Mukuro spoke _very _quietly, but the anger was still clear; his eyes were narrowed and his body trembled, as if he was trying his hardest to restrain himself from attacking Belphegor. "I _do _hope you're going to have him castrated after this. _Painfully. _If not, I will do it myself."

"Shit, that's not a bad idea." A sneer crossed Squalo's face as he considered the idea. Eventually snapping himself out of what must have turned into a daydream as he had been standing by the door in silence for several minutes, he said, "Breakfast is ready. Are you coming down or not?"

"If it's not too much trouble, could someone please bring it up for us?" Tsuna offered a shy smile as he moved closer to Mukuro, worried that the man may get mad at the request.

Shrugging, Squalo turned around to leave. "That fucking rainbow will bring some up." With that said, he was gone.

"'Rainbow'?" Tsuna blinked as he looked at his friends. "Who's that?"

Alas, the brunet's question was answered just a few minutes later when Lussuria bounded in, carrying two plates of food as he gushed happily about how pleased he was to know that the three teenagers were close enough to share rooms for the night.

"I'll bring two more plates up in a moment," Lussuria explained as he moved closer to Fran, leaning down to brush teal strands from the boy's face. Emerald eyes blinked up at the other a few times before Fran pushed himself closer in Mukuro's arms. "How are you feeling, honey?"

Fran made a soft noise in discomfort as he lowered his head, looking anywhere but at the flamboyant man. "…"

Patting the kid's head, Lussuria smiled as he stood up straight. "I'll bring some painkillers up for you, sweetie. I won't be too long with the other plates, either."

Tsuna smiled shyly as he nodded, handing one plate to Fran so that the youngest could eat first. He then looked in between Mukuro and Hibari, not sure which one he was supposed to feed first; they would probably try and kill the other claiming favouritism no matter who it was given to, so…

"Umm…" Tsuna rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish manner, "…who wants the other plate?"

In sync, both of the older guardians said, "You can have it; I can wait."

Tsuna was surprised, believing they would have fought over breakfast just so they wouldn't 'lose' to the other. "…Are… you guys sure…?"

The two nodded, Hibari's dark eyes wandering around the room as Mukuro turned his attention to Fran, helping the boy eat. Tsuna smiled as he nodded, resting the plate on his lap as he started to eat.

It was quiet between them all once Lussuria had brought up the last two plates and a few mugs of tea and hot chocolate, leaving them to their own devices. Mukuro and Fran were fast to drift off back to sleep once they had eaten, having been up most of the night together. Hibari seemed content where he was as he sipped at his tea, his dark eyes watching Tsuna.

"We should probably get ready soon, Hibari-san," Tsuna said. "Squalo wants us ready and outside by nine."

"Are you going to wake the pineapple herbivore?" Hibari stared at the blue-haired male, a barely-visible softness filling onyx orbs.

"Yeah, I'll have to; he might go looking for Belphegor if someone's not watching him." Tsuna sighed as he reached out, ghosting his fingertips against the illusionist's cheek. "Mukuro-san…"

"You two aren't dating." It wasn't a question.

Tsuna blinked before he shook his head. "No… We're not dating, as far as I'm aware. Why?"

"But you still kiss." Hibari's body slumped ever-so-slightly as he sighed. "Why?"

"I guess we're just comfortable enough with each other." The brunet still wasn't sure how to explain this to the skylark; during their time together, Tsuna was certain that what he felt towards Mukuro was _more _than just friendship, but how did one go about telling one of the most anti-social, distrusting people around that you wanted to be more than friends with them? "That, and… Mukuro-san needs to learn trust."

"You are teaching him trust by kissing him?" Hibari cocked his head, not understanding how this worked. "Then you wouldn't mind if I kissed you."

"…" Tsuna glanced to the side, not sure how he was supposed to answer this; he didn't want to go around kissing everyone, but… Hibari was so much like Mukuro, and it was hard to say which one he wanted to help more. He loved them both dearly, but Hibari was just so distant from everyone, it had been hard to imagine he had interest in intimacy. "…I…"

"I have never been kissed before," Hibari admitted. "I've never _wanted _to be kissed before. The pineapple herbivore gets kissed, so I do, too – you said we were on the same level."

"Ah, but Hibari-san, I didn't…"

"I want… to learn trust, too, herbivore…" Hibari looked to the side, an uncomfortable aura surrounding him. "…That was… taken from me a long time ago…"

Tsuna frowned, knowing his two strongest guardians were more alike than they probably realised; though Mukuro had been born into a life of abuse and cruelty, Hibari had eventually found himself tangled in a similar situation, caused by something he would probably never understand.

Glancing down at the two sleeping males, Tsuna chewed thoughtfully at his lip. The reason why he and Mukuro did what they do was because the brunet had wanted to help – why should Hibari be denied the help he _wanted_?

Getting off the bed, Tsuna made his way over to the couch. He wasn't surprised when a hand calloused from years of weaponry reached out, waiting to touch.

Hibari was quick to pull Tsuna onto the couch beside him. He pressed their lips together softly at first, his dark orbs staring into brown ones. Tsuna was blushing darkly, this kiss different to the ones he shared with Mukuro; the illusionist tasted like chocolate and was tender with his touches, while the skylark was slightly forceful and tasted like tea.

Tsuna soon relaxed into the kiss, letting himself be laid down when the older male pushed him back, reaching up to tangle his fingers in soft black locks as their lips parted and their tongues started to dance together.

Tsuna let out a soft whimper as he felt fingers ghosting down his sides, a warm hand eventually slipping beneath his light blue pyjama shirt. He broke the kiss as he turned his head to the side, moaning quietly as he felt long digits slide against his nipple.

"H-hibari-san…" Tsuna pushed the stronger male away at this, his face coated in red, "…Hibari-san, I don't want to take things so far like this…"

Hibari blinked, looking down at his hands with a dazed expression, almost as if he didn't understand what he had just done. He was silent for a few moments before he asked, "May I touch?"

Tsuna nodded, lying back down. Their mouths joined once again, the skylark's hands travelling over the younger's stomach as Hibari discovered what it was like to touch someone _without _hurting them.

Hibari let his eyes slip closed as he shifted his position, accidentally brushing their groins together. His face flushed as his eyelids drooped, not used to the pleasurable sensation that travelled through his body.

"H-hibari-san…" Tsuna reached out, cupping the taller male's cheek gently. He shook his head, speaking in a gentle tone. "N-not… while they're in the room with us…"

Hibari nodded, careful to pull his hips away from the brunet's. He kissed the other once more before he sat up, looking at his hands again; while it was rare, he had been aroused before, but he had never pleasured himself – it was a first for him to feel those sensations, and he wanted to experience more of it, wondering if Tsuna or Mukuro were strangers to it or not.

"I'm going to my bedroom, herbivore…" Without looking back, Hibari left the room.

Tsuna panted slightly as he wiped at his face, trying to get all traces of saliva from his skin. He briefly wondered how Mukuro would react if he knew what had just transpired, but he didn't think too much on it; it wasn't as if he had just cheated on Mukuro as they weren't even dating – it would be fine, he was sure of it.

_**~~XX~~**_

"I've made some last minute changes to the team, so if any of you are disappointed, get the fuck over it because I don't give a shit." Squalo shrugged as he addressed the Vongola group, everyone standing outside in the _very _spacious yard. "Kyouya, you _were _originally paired with the Bucking Horse, but fuck that – it's moot now. Mukuro was with Takeshi, but not anymore. You're swapping partners, so Mukuro and Kyouya; feel free to kick the absolute fucking shit out of Bel."

Mukuro's eyes glinted with malice as he smirked, passing Fran over to Tsuna. He approached Hibari, who had been standing off to the side, as mischievous as ever. "Wanna work together for this one, Kyouya? Kufufu~"

Hibari was silent for several seconds before he nodded, pulling his tonfa out into view. "Just don't get in my way, herbivore."

The two Vongola Guardians made their way towards Squalo, the man standing in between the two groups as he ordered for Belphegor to "get his unsightly ass out here now".

Mukuro and Hibari waited for Belphegor to finally stumble from the Varia group, a _very _obvious limp to him as he held his arm in an awkward manner, his breathing audibly harsh. His face was bruised, blood dribbling slowly down from beneath his blond locks. Squalo and Xanxus must have _really _been mad about his actions the previous day.

Looking up to Squalo, Mukuro said, "I can still castrate him, right?"

Belphegor flinched at the question, biting his lip as Squalo nodded. He instinctively grabbed four knives from his pocket with his good hand, flinging them towards the illusionist. He gasped in surprise when the skylark blocked the attack with one of the tonfa, the silver blades dropping harmlessly to the ground as Mukuro grinned brightly.

"Oh, thank you, Kyouya." Reaching out to pat the older male on the head, Mukuro laughed as the Prefect swatted at him with the weapons, not wanting to be touched. "Kufufu~ When did you start to care?"

Hibari narrowed his eyes as he shook his head. "I don't care about _you_; the Sawada herbivore and your green herbivore will simply be sad if you were to let yourself be killed by such a pathetic opponent."

Mukuro's smirk widened as he nodded, the kanji in his red eye changing as he materialised his trident. "Would you like for me to cut them off, or do _you _want the honours, Kyouya?"

"Whoever gets to them first."

"Sounds fair."

Belphegor, who had been standing warily behind Squalo, tried to move back as the two lunged at him, only to fall to the ground as his chest throbbed angrily, his breath catching in his throat. He instinctively raised a knife, thrusting it at the skylark who had come close enough to him. His attack was blocked by the trident coming out of nowhere, knocking the knife away before the spikes impaled the small hand, pinning it to the ground.

"That's one hand down, Kyouya."

"I can see that."

In the crowd, Tsuna watched in horror as his two guardians ravished the blond, having not realised just how cruel they could be – they were so gentle with him, he had almost forgotten the reason why they were guardians in the first place.

"W-why is Squalo letting this happen?!" Brown eyes moved towards the Varia group who were watching with interest, upset to see that they were getting amusement out of watching their own member clearly lose a battle he had no chance with in the first place.

"He did this on purpose," Reborn explained. "He's punishing Belphegor, as well as letting Hibari and Mukuro get their revenge. Nothing less could have been expected from the Varia."

"B-but…!" Tsuna raised his hand to his mouth as he realised that, now that his guardians had managed to pin Belphegor to the ground and get the black uniform pants down, Mukuro had grabbed one of the discarded knives, moving it towards the promised place with no hesitation whatsoever. Shoving Fran into Yamamoto's arms, Tsuna ran forward, unable to stomach the way Belphegor screamed in knowing, trying to kick the others away from him. "Mukuro-san! Stop! Don't do it!"

Mukuro and Hibari both turned at the brunet's shouts, their assault stopping immediately.

"Tsunayoshi?" Mukuro tossed the knife away into the distance as he stood up, looking at the younger with confused eyes. "He deserves it; I was only going to make it as slow and painful as I possibly could."

Hibari nodded in agreement, his foot still on the blond's chest in order to hold him down. He put more weight on the boy, pleased to hear Belphegor choke in ragged breaths as already-damaged ribs strained.

"You don't need to go that far, Mukuro-san… Look at him; I'm sure he's learnt his lesson…"

Mukuro sneered down at the Varia Storm, tugging his trident from the ground none-too-gently. He was pleased by the pained cry he drew from the other, smirking in triumph. Hibari moved away from the crumpled body, watching with vaguely interested eyes as Belphegor curled up into a ball, overwhelmed by pain.

"Thank you for stopping, guys." Tsuna stepped past them both as he approached the blond, leaning down to extend a hand. "The fight's over, Belphegor. Here."

Belphegor hesitated before he took the hand, letting himself start to be pulled up. However, within a split second, he pulled one last knife from his pocket, using the momentum of being pulled up to tackle Tsuna as he used the last of his strength to try and attack. He was soon knocked to the ground once more as that same trident blocked the attack and a pair of tonfa whipped him hard across the head, Mukuro standing protectively in front of Tsuna as Hibari wrapped an arm around the brunet, having pulled him out of harm's way.

"Do not _ever _attack Tsunayoshi again…" Mukuro bristled with anger, hardly aware that by now, both groups had run over. He watched as Squalo leant down, picking a now-unconscious Belphegor up from the ground in order to carry him away from the youngers.

Turning to face Xanxus, the long-haired man asked, "I don't think he'll be doing _that _again for a long time."

Xanxus smirked as he nodded, fingering his guns; it would have been only too easy to shoot the trash he called his Storm Guardian.

Looking at the three that had been involved with the fight, Squalo added, "I'm glad you didn't kill him; he's a fucking pain in the ass but he's invaluable – we wouldn't have been able to replace his fucking twisted ass."

Neither Hibari nor Mukuro spoke; they just turned to Tsuna, finding Dino talking to the brunet.

"Are you sure you're okay?" the blond asked, his hands on Tsuna's shoulders.

Tsuna nodded, offering a weak smile. "I'm fine, Dino-san; really. Belphegor didn't touch me; Mukuro-san and Hibari-san were faster."

Dino smiled in relief as he nodded, carefully taking the brunet from Hibari's arms. "We'll go get some water and then come back; just to clear your head."

Tsuna nodded in appreciation, turning to smile weakly at the two that had come to his rescue; he knew, if it weren't for the two arch nemeses, he would probably be dead by now.

Hibari was quick to put distance between he and the groups, only to have Mukuro follow him. The younger male was smirking, as if he were very pleased about something.

"For someone who hates to socialise, you work pretty well on a team." The blue-haired male looked down as Fran started tugging on his shirt, picking the boy up. "We should work together more often, Kyouya."

"…" Hibari just turned around, heading back to the mansion altogether.

"Kufufu~" Looking down at Fran, Mukuro smiled playfully. "I think he's starting to like me, Fran – he would have tried to kill me again otherwise."

Fran blinked, still in a daze from the strong painkillers he had been given. He yawned before he closed his eyes, resting his head against Mukuro's chest as he let himself slip into sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Within the week that had passed, Tsuna had noticed that Mukuro seemed to be getting along well with Hibari – even if the skylark didn't seem to appreciate it. It was greatly surprising to know that neither of them had started a fight with the other, instead getting along well enough to be around each other without antagonising _too _badly.

Tsuna didn't know what had happened; they had gone from mortal enemies to suddenly accepting the other in silence – he didn't even have _suspicions _about how this had come about; it just… had.

"Mukuro-san?" Tsuna looked up at his companion, the two having just gotten out of the limousine that had dropped them back off at the Varia mansion; Lussuria had asked for them to run into town and get ingredients for dinner, and the two had agreed.

"Yes, Tsunayoshi?" Heterochromatic eyes turned to look at the younger, the blue-haired teenager unwrapping the chocolate bar he had conjured illusionary money to buy. He was quick to bite into the treat as he waited patiently for an answer, a plastic bag hanging off his wrist as they walked to the front door.

"You and Hibari-san…" Tsuna sighed before rubbing the back of his head.

"What about us?" The illusionist cocked his head to the side, his demeanour as soft as it always was when he was around the brunet.

"…You two are… getting along." The younger smiled shyly, patting his friend's arm.

"You could say that." Mukuro blinked, not understanding why this had been brought up.

"How come?"

"Pardon?" The older male chuckled. "You are asking me why we're getting along? Well, I couldn't speak for Kyouya as he'd probably try and kill me again, but… I'm just happy that he was there for Fran. He might have been killed had Kyouya not stepped in, so… I don't really want to fight with the one who saved Fran. Does that make sense, Tsunayoshi?"

"You're grateful towards Hibari-san?" Tsuna smiled when the Mist Guardian nodded. "I get it now. Do you want to be his friend?"

Mukuro suddenly tensed at this question, an anxious look crossing his face. He fidgeted uneasily before he shoved his chocolate bar back in his mouth, eating it in the manner a starving dog would its food.

"Mukuro-san?" Tsuna knew he had suddenly stressed the taller male out, but he hadn't meant to; he had only hoped his friend was going to start letting others in. "Mukuro-san, did I upset you?"

Mukuro shook his head, swallowing the last of his chocolate. He threaded long fingers through his hair before he explained. "Kyouya and I couldn't _ever _be friends, Tsunayoshi…"

"Why's that?"

"…Because we are supposed to hate each other… How can… We would make bad friends…"

"Didn't you once think similar about me?" Tsuna opened the mansion door, holding it open for Mukuro to step through. He closed it behind them, leading the illusionist towards the kitchen. "You thought you would always hate me, and wanted to destroy me and my friends. But… now we're really close. Why couldn't it be the same for you and Hibari-san?"

"Because Kyouya… has not done what _you _have for me, Tsunayoshi… He didn't get me out of prison, or take me in when I lost my home…"

"No, but he did save Fran," the brunet pointed out. "He even went as far as sitting with you because he could see how stressed you were. And that night… he came in to check on you _both_. Hibari-san _does _somewhat care now; I _know _he does – he's tolerating you, and he wouldn't do that for just _anyone_."

"…" Mukuro dropped his head as they stepped into the kitchen, following Tsuna to one of the counters in order to drop their purchases onto it. "…Kyouya… would not be a good friend for me…"

"Why wouldn't he be?"

"…He would not understand me like you do, Tsunayoshi. He… would never understand…"

"Mukuro-san, I truly think Hibari-san would understand you better than me." The Sky Guardian's smile became more comfortable at this. "He… I didn't know this until I had witnessed it for myself, but… Hibari-san had a very bad family as well. In fact, the only reason he's starting to trust _me _is because I tried to help him. I think he was only as vicious as he was because he had learnt it from his father, and that he was just so lost, he didn't know any better. He's slowly calming down now that he's away from them – he hasn't been fighting as much, and he seems to be slightly more relaxed. I don't see any reason why you _couldn't _be friends with him if you just tried. He might think just the same way as you, really."

"Kyouya… hurts, too…?" Mukuro frowned, wondering if the older male felt the same way he did. He tilted his head, scrunching the candy wrapper in his hand anxiously. "…I didn't… know…"

"Of course not; Hibari-san isn't the kind of person to let his weaknesses be known so easily." Closing the kitchen door behind them, the brunet next wrapped his arms around the illusionist, hugging close to him. He leant up on his tiptoes, their lips pressing together once Mukuro bent his back in order to reach the younger's height. After breaking apart, Tsuna suggested, "Why don't you just go talk to him? You'll be surprised."

The Mist Guardian shook his head, his spidery fingers grasping tightly the blue jacket his friend wore. He rested his chin on wild brown locks, seeking the warmth he had come to obsess over. "I should go check on Fran…"

"He's with Yamamoto," Tsuna soothed. "I'll go check on him for you. Please? Go talk to Hibari-san; he's really not that bad lately. If he wants you to leave, you'll know."

"Yes, because he'll try and 'bite me to death'." Mukuro sighed.

"When was the last time you've heard him say that to _anyone_?" Tsuna nestled his face in against his friend's chest, comforted by the other's presence. "I'm telling you; he's really calming down, Mukuro-san. He wants to have a friend and to trust just as much as you do. Give him a chance."

Heterochromatic eyes closed for a few seconds before they opened again, a defeated look on his face. "Alright…"

Tsuna smiled, brushing blue strands of hair from the teenager's face. "Thank you, Mukuro-san. I'll go check on Fran for you."

Mukuro nodded, hesitant to part from his friend. He eventually pulled away, glancing back at the younger before he headed towards the staircase, going to do as suggested.

Tsuna smiled after the other as he turned around and made his way into what he knew was the living room, wondering if he would find his friends there; Yamamoto was just too energetic to be up in his bedroom, after all.

It didn't take long at all to find Gokudera lazing about on the couch with Ryohei shouting at the TV, some sort of action drama getting him excited. Chrome was quietly seated on the other end of the couch, and Lambo was curled up on her lap, pumping his fists in the air as he shouted along with the boxer.

"Do you guys know where Yamamoto and Fran are?" Tsuna felt all eyes turn to him, waiting patiently for an answer.

"He and Squalo went to the training hall," Chrome said softly, her cheeks red with shyness. "Fran is with them, I'm pretty sure."

"Thank you, Chrome." Tsuna started to make his way to the training hall, only to have Gokudera literally _throw _himself off the couch in order to be by his side.

"Tenth, you should have asked _me _to come into town with you!" The silver-haired male looked sad at the rejection. "I would have been _much _better company."

"I'm sorry, Gokudera-kun." Tsuna let the older male walk with him, never minding his best friend's company. "We'll go into town together later, alright? Just us."

A pleased expression crossed Gokudera's face as he nodded, his nose in the air as he placed his hands on his hips. "As expected of the Tenth; always willing to spend time with his subordinates."

"Mukuro-san had to translate for me," Tsuna admitted sheepishly. "I would have had no idea what to do otherwise. He even had to get the food Lussuria-san had requested, and pay for it all."

"I can do a _much _better job than _him_," the taller male said in a proud manner. "Just watch, Tenth!"

"Alright, Gokudera-kun. Once we had paid for everything, he decided he wanted chocolate, and all he had was Japanese currency. Instead of stealing it outright, he paid for it with illusionary money."

Gokudera snorted. "If I was an illusionist, I'd have been _much _more impressive in my stealing acts, Tenth."

Tsuna laughed at this, absolutely adoring his puppy-like friend.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Kyouya?"

Hibari blinked as he heard Mukuro call his name seconds before his bedroom door was opened. He remained silent as he carefully marked the page of the book he had been reading, closing it on his lap. He spun the desk chair around to look at the other, one elbow resting on the hardwood as he played with black strands in annoyance.

Closing the door quietly behind him, Mukuro made his way over to the king-size bed tucked away in on the far side of the room. He went to sit on it, only to have Hibari scold him. Raising his hands in defence, the younger male stood where he was, having not come here looking for a fight.

"What do you want, herbivore?" Hibari had been very relaxed where he was, annoyed that his quiet time had been disturbed.

Mukuro looked down at this question, wondering if he should admit that it had been Tsuna's request. "…I simply wanted to thank you again for what you did for Fran."

"…" Picking his book back up from his lap, Hibari returned to the paragraph he had been reading just seconds ago. "If that's all you wanted, you can leave now."

Mukuro ignored this as he looked around the guestroom; like the one he was sharing with Fran – and more often than not, Tsuna – this one had red walls, a bed pressed against the middle of the wall lathered in silky black blankets, a dresser across from it, a desk resting beneath the huge window overlooking the grounds, and a couch.

Heading over to the black couch, Mukuro sat on it as he pulled his knees to his chest, resting his chin on them as he watched the older male.

Hibari ignored this, letting his attention focus solely on the book in his hands. With the illusionist sitting silently on the other side of the room, it was almost _peaceful _– this was a scenario he would never have imagined happening, but he was soon finding that, as long as Mukuro didn't bother him, it was one that wasn't unwelcoming.

"Kyouya?"

Hibari closed his eyes as he sighed, turning around to look again at the younger male. "What, herbivore?"

"Aren't you… _lonely, _always locking yourself away like this?" Mukuro hugged his long legs, burying his face against them for a few seconds before he resurfaced, looking at the skylark again. "Why don't you ever want to be around people?"

"Why are _you _asking that? You don't have any friends, and won't even go _near _anyone else." Hibari couldn't stop the defensive tone from leaking into his words. "You're just the pot calling the kettle black with that question."

"I can admit I'm antisocial as well…" Mukuro said quietly, a soft look crossing his eyes, "…but at least I still have my friends I can be around… I just… wanted to know if you're lonely… That's all."

"Suppose I answer this question; why would you want to know in the first place?" Tossing the book onto the desk, no longer interested in it, Hibari stood up. His black jacket hung from his shoulders as he crossed the room, eventually standing before the couch. "You're sly, pineapple herbivore."

Mukuro shook his head, glancing away. "I wanted to know… because Tsunayoshi said you would understand me best…"

Hibari blinked at these words, recalling the recent times he had seen Mukuro display clear weaknesses. He tilted his head, knowing that while something _had _happened to the younger, he had never actually been told _what_.

"You're telling me you're lonely." Onyx eyes raked over the thin frame before him, trying to make reason of this. "You think I will understand loneliness, too. Because the Sawada herbivore says I will understand you."

Mukuro nodded, knowing there was no point in denying this; it was indeed the case. "…"

"But you have friends. Why would you be lonely when you have friends?" This was something Hibari didn't understand; if someone had friends, they weren't alone – so why…?

"Because my friends don't understand." Mukuro shrugged. "Ken and Chikusa… don't get it all. They only understand a small fraction of it. Fran will never understand, and Tsunayoshi can admit he doesn't."

"You are lonely because people don't get you? Then why not talk about it so they _do _understand?" Hibari reached out, intending on brushing blue hair out of the red eye, only to be startled as Mukuro yelped at the touch, throwing himself to the side as if to escape a painful touch. "You didn't stop me. If you don't like to be touched, you should have stopped me."

Mukuro, who had had his head turned to the side, truly hadn't noticed the hand coming towards him; his blue eye had been staring away from Hibari, only to panic at the feel of something close to the eye that had caused him so much pain. That touch had recalled the agony of having his eye torn from its socket, replaced with one he would never see out of again.

"If I had seen your hand coming towards me, I would have…" Mukuro tightened his hold on his legs, sighing as his nose poked out from above his knees.

"You are blind in your red eye." Hibari was quick to link the information together. Come to think of it… he also hadn't seen Mukuro allow anyone to touch him apart from Tsuna and Fran – was there a reason he seemed to distance himself from everyone else? React the way he had to touch from those he didn't trust? And then, remembering back to when his father's abuse had only just started, Hibari acknowledged the fact that he also didn't like to be touched because of the things that had been done to him. "You were beaten."

Mukuro turned to meet the older male's gaze, still for a few seconds before he nodded. "Among other things."

Hibari nodded to himself before he moved back to the desk, picking up his book. "You may stay."

With that said, a comfortable silence fell between them, Hibari not bothered by the other's presence while Mukuro sat on the couch, sorting through his own thoughts.

It had truly surprised Mukuro to know that Hibari had suddenly accepted his company the second he realised the illusionist had been beaten, and it made him wonder; did the Prefect seemingly accept him because he had never known someone he could relate to before?

Was it that Hibari had simply wanted to know he wasn't alone in what he had been through? Or that he knew the pain so well, he could empathise completely?

Either way, Mukuro was just glad that they weren't fighting. Part of him hoped it would stay this way, too.


	15. Chapter 15

Hibari was used to people fleeing from him at the first sign of his approach, so it was strange to suddenly have someone following him around a lot of the time, mostly in silence – it was almost as if Mukuro was content just to be by him.

The skylark himself found that it didn't bother him as much as he thought it would; Mukuro mostly kept to himself, always waiting patiently for Tsuna to finish spending time with his other friends or going about training with Reborn and the Varia. The younger male was never really much of a hassle, and more often than not, Hibari forgot he was even there to begin with.

Getting up from the bed he had been resting on, Hibari stretched with a soft sound, jerking Mukuro out of his light slumber. Heterochromatic eyes blinked open, the younger male having been resting on the couch.

"Kyouya…?" Mukuro yawned as he sat up, rubbing at his eyes. "Where are you going?"

"Getting lunch. Follow." With that said, Hibari left the room with a prideful stride, leaving Mukuro to catch up to him.

Mukuro obeyed, knowing the skylark needed someone to translate for him anyway; the cooks at the Varia mansion were Italian, not versed in the Japanese language. They walked in silence down the corridor, but they didn't get halfway to the staircase before they were both ducking, three knives with wire attached to them whizzing past their faces and embedding themselves in the wall before them.

Mukuro blinked in surprise, a small cut on his cheek dribbling blood. The two turned around, finding Belphegor standing in the doorway of his bedroom, more knives at the ready. The blond hissed something in Italian, drawing a laugh from Mukuro. The blue-haired teenager replied back in the language foreign to Hibari, earning a flushed face and hasty retreat from the Varia Storm.

"What did he say?" Hibari questioned once the nuisance was gone.

"Kufufu~" Reaching up to rub at his injured cheek, Mukuro said softly, "He was very vulgar and I wish not to repeat it. I simply told him that if that was what he wanted from us, I was very happy to cut it off now that Tsunayoshi isn't here to stop us."

Hibari smirked, nodding in appreciation; he would love nothing more than to get Belphegor on his own and bite that creepy herbivore to death.

The two continued on their way to the kitchen and, once they had stopped in front of one of the cooks, Mukuro requested their desired foods. Hibari hated being unable to communicate properly himself, and it was a low blow to his pride to have to reply on Mukuro for this, but it could have been worse; he could have been forced to _ask _for help instead of the illusionist already being there and knowing what to do.

"It'll be done soon, Kyouya. Let's go sit down for a bit." Mukuro left the older male's side, moving back into the spacious dining room the kitchen connected to. He took a seat down at the table, Hibari soon sitting a few seats down from him. "You _can _sit next to me if you wish, Kyouya; I don't bite."

Hibari shook his head, glaring at the younger. "I don't sit next to _anyone_."

"Oya oya, you let the Bucking Horse sit next to you on the flight. Kufufu~ You were all huddled up in the very back row, pressed against the window and looking as if you were going to kill him any second."

"Cavallone has no sense of personal space," Hibari said quietly. "He wouldn't have moved whether I asked him or not; an inch is all he would have given me."

Mukuro smirked. "Well, that's true. He does –"

The two teenagers turned as the double doors opened, Fran and Tsuna walking in hand-in-hand. Fran's anxious face suddenly brightened at the sight of his teacher, running towards the other illusionist before hugging Mukuro tightly.

Mukuro patted teal hair, letting his charge crawl up on his lap. "What's wrong, Fran?"

"I missed you." Fran huffed as he straddled the teenager's lap, dropping his chin to Mukuro's shoulder. "I finished playing with Takeshi and then when I tried to find you, you weren't anywhere. The tuna-fish had to help me look for you."

"Sorry, Fran." Mukuro looked at the brunet came to his side, tugging Tsuna down so that he could kiss the other gently on the lips. The Sky Guardian reached out, caressing blue locks as he returned the gesture.

Hibari twitched before he stood up, pushing Mukuro away before he claimed Tsuna's lips for his own, his onyx orbs coming to stare into heterochromatic ones, almost _daring _the younger to try and break them apart.

Mukuro bristled, his eyes flaring with anger as he pushed Fran from his lap. He pulled Tsuna into his arms, his trident materialising within seconds. "He's _mine_."

"I've done more with him than _you_," the Prefect hissed, pulling his tonfa from his jacket. "He trusts _me _more than _you _for that fact."

Shock crossed Mukuro's face before it returned to its fuming expression. He swung the trident at Hibari, his attack blocked by the pair of tonfa.

"_Don't _take him away from me…" Tsuna understood at that moment that, though maybe Mukuro _was _jealous and angry of Hibari giving the brunet attention, he was also _scared _of losing the one he had become so close with. "I won't let _anyone _take him away from me!"

Hibari ducked beneath the trident before he moved to hit Mukuro, only to have the other move out of the way in time. "More like _you're _the one taking him from _me_…"

Tsuna finally managed to dislodge himself from Mukuro's arm, moving in between their vicious assault. He saw the sudden flash of panic in the illusionist's eyes as the older male forced his trident to the side, only just scraping past his friend. Hibari, however, hadn't been able to act in time and whacked the other hard in the face, despite having tried his best to avoid Tsuna.

"Herbivore…" Hibari dropped the tonfa as he approached the brunet, watching as the Vongola Decimo held his face, a few drops of blood dripping past his hands. "…"

Mukuro, however, was forced to abandon Tsuna, who could take care of himself, in favour of holding Fran's side tightly as he tried to calm the boy, having accidentally struck his charge – he hadn't meant to; he just hadn't seen Fran coming towards him due to the blindness in his right eye. Emerald eyes were full of tears as the boy trembled in pain, the spikes having impaled Fran's side deeply. Blood gushed to the marble floor as Mukuro tried to pull the trident out of the boy's body as carefully as he could.

"Someone help…" Mukuro dispelled the trident altogether, scooping Fran up into his arms. The thought of losing Fran terrified him, and without a glance back at the others, he ran from the dining room, calling for help in every language he knew.

Hibari watched them leave, feeling a tad bad for the kid, but not enough to offer his assistance – he wouldn't know what to do anyway. Instead, he reached out to grab Tsuna's shoulder, turning the younger to face him. Tsuna pulled his hand from his face, revealing that the damage wasn't all that bad; the side of his face was going to bruise, and the blood was coming from a gash just above his eye – nothing serious.

"H-hibari-san…" Tsuna offered a shy smile to the skylark, wiping his bloodied hands on his shirt. "Hibari-san, please don't fight like that again with Mukuro-san."

"That pineapple herbivore is taking you from me." Hibari crossed his arms over his chest as he sighed, shaking his head. "When I first saw him kiss you…"

"Hibari-san, it's not like that." Tsuna winced at the pain in his face, trying his hardest to hide it so that he didn't worry the other. "No one's taking me from any of you. I'm sorry if that's what we made you feel like, but I'm sure you upset Mukuro-san just as much as he upset you." Looking around for the illusionist, he then asked, "Where's Mukuro-san gone?"

"He stabbed the green herbivore trying to avoid you." Hibari's words were soft, as if he understood how worried Tsuna was going to be. "He's trying to get help for him."

Tsuna frowned as he reached out, taking Hibari's hand in his own before he pulled the taller male along behind him. "Which way did he go?"

"I don't know." Hibari continuously tried to tug his hand from the smaller one, very uncomfortable with this, but Tsuna was too worried to notice. "Try the infirmary."

Tsuna nodded, changing direction as he took one of the doors to his right. He was greeted by the same white walls and the smell of disinfectant he had been during the night of Fran's assault, hating to see that, out of all the hospital beds lined up against the walls, one of them had people gathered around it, trying to keep someone calm. Mukuro was among them, looking sick.

"Mukuro-san?" Tsuna reached out, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. Mukuro turned around to face them with tired eyes, frowning. The blue-haired male stepped forward, pulling Tsuna into a hug, showing that, right now, he needed comfort.

"I feel terrible…" Mukuro leant down, burying his face in brunet hair. "I didn't… mean to hurt him… I just… didn't _see _him…!"

Tsuna hugged the other back, looking past the illusionist to see Fran being held down on the bed by nurses, his wound being flushed out. The boy was trembling, tears leaking down his cheeks. Tsuna wasn't sure it was from pain; he was almost certain he had gone into shock from being attacked by someone he loved so much.

"It's okay, Mukuro-san; it was an accident."

Hibari looked the two illusionists up and down, knowing this was partly his fault for having allowed his jealousy to get in between them. He shouldn't have broken Mukuro and Tsuna apart the way he had, but the burning envy he felt watching them…

After finally letting the brunet in, the last thing he wanted was to lose Tsuna – watching the way he was so intimate with Mukuro made him feel threatened, as if the Vongola Sky would suddenly run off with Mukuro and leave them all behind. He hadn't known what had come over him; he just knew he was angry at the idea of losing the one person he really wanted to keep.

"Mukuro-san, no one was trying to take me away from you." Tsuna was gentle as he caressed blue locks. He felt the other stiffen in his arms, but he continued on anyway. "I know; it's true that Hibari-san and I did a bit more than I have with you, but I'm still _here_, aren't I? I would _never _leave you or let anyone take you away from me because I _love _you, Mukuro-san."

Hibari became rigid at this, but he didn't speak. Mukuro, however, just tightened his hold on Tsuna, accepting the other's words in silence.

"How's Fran?" Tsuna kissed the tip of Mukuro's nose, bringing him closer.

"…I think he's scared more than anything… He's usually very good with pain, but…" The Vongola Mist sighed.

Hibari's sharp eyes caught sight of the cut on Mukuro's face bleeding. He reached out, wiping the blood away. "Don't stress so much; it's not good for herbivores. You didn't mean it."

Mukuro nodded, slowly detaching himself from Tsuna in order to move to Hibari next. He was more wary as he wrapped his arms around the other, dropping his face into raven locks. The skylark was tense beneath this touch, but he didn't make any move to push Mukuro away.

Tsuna didn't completely understand their seemingly-bi-polar friendship, but that didn't matter; all that mattered was they were getting along, even if they still had their fights along the way.

_**~~XX~~**_

Hibari glanced up that night from the book he had been reading peacefully at the knock on his door. It was a small, almost timid knock, and the Prefect didn't need to guess who it was.

"Come in, herbivore."

As expected, Tsuna was the one to step into the room. He closed the door quietly behind him before he walked over to the bed, standing by its side.

"Mukuro-san is spending the night with Fran." Tsuna reached out, placing a soft hand against Hibari's cheek. "Are you still angry at him for earlier? He's already forgiven you. He really likes you, Hibari-san."

Hibari shrugged. "I overreacted. I shouldn't have forced him away from you like that – I simply didn't want him to take you from me."

"He wasn't, Hibari-san." Tsuna didn't resist as he was pulled onto the bed; he allowed himself to be laid down, for the other to clamber on top of him and crush their lips together. When they broke apart for air, he continued on, "He was just doing what _we're _doing now."

Hibari moved his lips down to Tsuna's throat, nipping at the warm skin before he bit down, sucking on the abused area. His hands slid back beneath the younger's shirt, caressing the warm skin beneath his fingertips.

Lifting his head to look into brown eyes, the older male said, "I can do more while we're alone." It wasn't a question.

Tsuna blushed, looking to the side. "N-not _too _much, Hibari-san… I'll tell you to stop if I'm uncomfortable."

Hibari nodded. He lifted the green shirt up to Tsuna's chest, wrapping his lips around soft nubs. His tongue licked at them, teeth nibbling gently.

Tsuna moaned softly at the foreign sensation, his hands reaching up to grip at Hibari's white shirt; he had never felt such pleasure before, but he liked it.

The skylark pressed their hips together, surprised to find slight pressure against him. He himself was becoming hard, and again he found himself wondering about Tsuna's private life.

"Have you ever…" a faint blush crossed Hibari's face, having never thought he'd ask such a question, "…touched yourself?"

Tsuna blushed scarlet, looking to the side as he nodded shyly. "…O-only sometimes…"

Hibari kissed the younger once more before asking, "What about the pineapple herbivore?"

"I-I don't know… It's… never come up before…" Hibari couldn't help but think Tsuna was beautiful when he was embarrassed. "I never thought to ask…!"

"I want to know," the taller male said. "Find out for me."

Tsuna squeaked, about to decline, before he was kissed once more. He felt his guardian's hands slide down to his hips, a calloused hand sliding to the front of his pants. He gasped and cried out as he was caressed through the thin material, his arousal quickly building.

Hibari sucked once more on Tsuna's neck as he drew soft whimpers and cries from the younger. He could feel his own erection pressing against the front of his pants, but he didn't want to touch it; it felt like a private activity that should only be done when he was alone, no matter _what _situation he was in.

"H-hibari-san…!" Tsuna turned his head to the side as he felt the hand remove itself from his pants, instead slipping beneath the material for better access. "Nngh…"

Hibari sized up the heated flesh in his hands, finding it bigger than he had expected. It was warm, wet from the pre-come that was dribbling from the tip. His eyes stared into hazy brown ones as he felt the younger shudder beneath him seconds before the sticky white liquid splattered onto his hand.

Tsuna blushed as he looked away, embarrassed greatly about this; he had never expected for _this _happen, let alone with _Hibari_ of all people…! To his great shock, the skylark lifted his dirtied hand to his mouth, licking curiously at the fluid. Tsuna swallowed heavily, hoping that the other would accept it and not throw a fit of sorts – apparently Hibari had decided he liked it as he continued lapping it all up into his mouth until he was sucking at his fingers, making sure it was all clean.

"Be my boyfriend, herbivore."

Tsuna squeaked again at this, trailing his eyes down to find the intimidating bulge begging for freedom. This didn't make him feel any better so, looking back up into the other's eyes, he stuttered, "W-what…?"

"Be my boyfriend," Hibari repeated, a bit more firmly this time.

Thoughts ran through Tsuna's mind at this question, worried that if he accepted, it would upset Mukuro and cause more conflict between them as well as cause disarray between the other guardians and – so why had he just accepted the offer?

Hibari nodded in appreciation, getting off the bed to turn the light off. "You will sleep here tonight, herbivore."

Tsuna blushed as he felt Hibari moving back onto the bed. He pulled the blankets over his scrawny body, feeling Hibari doing the same. To his relief, the older male had distance between them, his back to the smaller teenager; Tsuna felt it would be too embarrassing to cuddle so soon in a relationship, so he instead just took to closing his eyes, letting himself drift into peaceful slumber.

The brunet sincerely hoped he wouldn't be hurting Mukuro by being Hibari's boyfriend.


	16. Chapter 16

Mukuro looked up the next morning as he heard the infirmary door open. He sighed, pulling his hand from Fran's as he turned around to see who had entered. He smiled softly at the sight of Tsuna, getting up to wrap his arms around the younger in a tight embrace. He rested his cheek on brunet hair as he sighed happily, just glad the other had come back once again.

"How's Fran?" Reaching up, Tsuna placed his hand over the larger one, caressing slightly.

"He's doing well." Mukuro yawned, his heterochromatic eyes glinting with contentment. "The nurses say he's going to be fine; he just needs rest."

"That's good." Tsuna was satisfied with how they were, but when Mukuro leant down again to kiss the smaller male, he was quick to pull back, feeling horrible at the hurt visible in mismatched eyes.

"Tsunayoshi…?" Mukuro gulped, feeling his heart start to race; why didn't Tsuna want to kiss him anymore…? "Did I… do something wrong…?"

"Of course not, Mukuro-san." Tsuna rested his head against a chest that was far more fragile than the illusionist would let anyone know. "I just… Last night… Hibari-san and I have started to date now, so we can't kiss anymore."

Mukuro felt himself go into a panic at these words, scared that his fear of losing Tsuna was about to come true. His heart pounded painfully against his ribcage to the point he felt as if he were about to black out, and he felt like he was going to throw up. "B-but…!"

Tsuna reached out, taking Mukuro's cheeks in his hands. He kissed the older male's forehead before he said softly, "But that doesn't mean we can't still be this close, Mukuro-san; we just can't kiss."

Mukuro frowned as he nodded, hugging the younger tightly. He didn't want to let Tsuna ago, afraid that if he did so, the other might just disappear, never to return.

"I can… still embrace you, though…?" There was a hopeful hint in the Mist Guardian's whisper, as if he was horrified of the idea of never being allowed to touch the other guardian again.

"Of course, Mukuro-san." As if to prove his point, Tsuna hugged the illusionist tighter as well. "We just can't be intimate because it won't be fair to Hibari-san."

"…How did you start dating…?" Mukuro played with stray brunet locks, awaiting the answer.

"Hibari-san requested it, and I agreed. I still love you just as much, though, Mukuro-san."

"Just… as much…?" Mukuro pulled away, regarding his friend with wary eyes. "…If I… had asked to court you… You would have agreed…?"

Tsuna smiled shyly as a blush coated his cheeks, nodding. "Yes." And it was then realisation hit him. "…You mean… you wanted to date as well?"

Mukuro glanced away as he nodded. "…I believed you would have said no had I asked… So I left it… I didn't want… to hear you say no… I didn't… want you to hurt me…"

Tsuna honestly felt bad at this, wishing he had put off saying yes to Hibari so he could instead talk to Mukuro. "I'm really sorry, Mukuro-san…"

"It's not your fault…" Sadness was evident in Mukuro's entire being; it wafted from him like a bad smell, his voice thick with it and his eyes looking as depressed as ever. "I should have asked…"

"Nothing will change between us, Mukuro-san," Tsuna promised. "Just because I'm with Hibari-san, nothing has to change between us."

Mukuro nodded. "I am happy for you, Tsunayoshi… You would be happier with Kyouya than you would have been with me, anyway…"

Tsuna smiled sadly as he brushed blue locks from heterochromatic eyes. The two sat in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts, before the illusionist quietly asked, "When will we be going back to Japan…?"

"Tonight, I think. Are you okay?"

Mukuro sighed. "I am so tired of being here, Tsunayoshi… I once told you nothing good happens in Italy… Nothing's changed, and it's even more painful than before…"

"We'll be going back very soon; I promise."

Mukuro smiled softly, nodding; he had learnt by now that if there was one person he could trust, it was Tsuna.

_**~~XX~~**_

When Mukuro went back upstairs that evening in order to gather all his belongings, he found himself stopping by Hibari's room. He went to knock on the door and ask how the skylark was going, but he was quickly driven away by the soft moans he could hear from inside. He chewed at his lip as he felt depression overwhelm him, instead continuing on to his own room.

It hurt to hear the other two like this, but there was really nothing he could do except to accept things the way they were; he should have been bold enough to ask Tsuna to date him, and instead he had been a coward, afraid of being hurt and rejected, and let someone else claim the younger.

Of course it upset him, and of course he was jealous, but Mukuro just couldn't find it in himself to be angry at the other two; it had been his fault in the first place, and he would have been a horrible boyfriend, always sad and distrusting and needing to be cared for. He doubted he would have been able to make Tsuna as happy as Hibari potentially could, but damnit, he would have _tried_…!

Stepping into his room, Mukuro flicked the light switch. He glared as he caught sight of a familiar blond rummaging through his belongings, his voice rough as he addressed the other in Italian.

"Belphegor, I suggest you leave my room this instant." Mukuro sneered as the other turned around to face him, knives being held in a threatening manner.

"What are you going to do, you stupid pineapple?" Belphegor laughed before he made an obscene gesture, his head cocking to the side. "I'll fuck you if you don't piss off, just like how I fucked your stupid little brat. You can cry and scream and beg no all you want, but I'll only make it worse for you."

"I am in a really… _really _bad mood right now, Belphegor…" With that said, the kanji in Mukuro's red eye changed and, a split second later, Belphegor had dropped to the ground, his body twitching as his mouth hung open in a silent scream, trapped in an illusion meant to tear his sanity to pieces – or what was left of it, anyway.

Mukuro just stepped over the body carelessly as he pulled his bag out from the wardrobe, opening it to neatly fold his clothes and place them inside. It took just minutes for his and Fran's personal belongings to be packed once more, and then he was gone, turning the light off and closing the door behind him.

_I hope no one finds him for a _long _time… _Mukuro couldn't help but sneer, his hatred towards the Varia Storm greater than a lot of other people. _He's just lucky I didn't castrate him then and there. _

_**~~XX~~**_

The flight back to Japan was an uneventful one; Dino had, once again, booked every seat out, knowing the Varia wouldn't allow their personal jet to be used in such a manner. While Tsuna sat with his friends, laughing cheerfully as he chatted with them, Mukuro had isolated himself with Fran down the back of the plane, deep in thought. Hibari and Dino were across from him, and though Mukuro was content with staring out of the window with his chin in his hand, Fran was restless.

"Master…" Fran flinched when heterochromatic eyes fixed on him, pulling his hand back from where he had been tugging at his guardian's jacket.

"What is it?" Mukuro tried to ignore the way the youngest trembled, knowing it was his fault; he had hurt Fran too many times, betrayed the other's trust, and now he was paying the price.

"…I need to pee…" Fran looked uncomfortable as he sat in the seat next to Mukuro, crossing his legs as he held his side, still sore from where he had been stabbed.

Mukuro nodded as he stood up, grabbing Fran's shaking hand before he went to take the other to the toilet. He instead stopped and frowned when the younger illusionist squeaked out a timid "W-wait!" and instead pointed over to the main Vongola group, his emerald eyes focusing on Yamamoto.

"C-can… Can Takeshi take me, Master…?" Fran looked at his lap, tense; it was almost as if he expected the other to hurt him again.

Mukuro just blinked before he nodded, feeling hurt over the boy's sudden lack of trust in him. He went to get out of the seat to get the younger male, only to stop as Dino called out to him.

"I'll get him for you, Mukuro." The Chiavarone boss smiled as he got up, having been sitting in an aisle seat anyway. He must have been listening because, not even a minute later, he returned with Yamamoto who was all too happy to pick the boy up and take him to the toilet.

Mukuro sighed and turned back to the window, only to frown as he heard Hibari call him over to them. He got up slowly, standing by Dino's seat. "Yes, Kyouya…?"

Hibari patted the unoccupied seat next to him, squishing himself as far against the window as he possibly could. "Sit."

The illusionist blinked before he nodded, squeezing past Dino in order to sit by the skylark. Dark eyes observed the younger before Hibari said, "You are upset with us."

"A little… It's… It's not all you two, though…" Mukuro sighed, not sure how to explain things to Hibari; the Prefect was so prideful and strong, he probably wouldn't even _know _what it was like to hate yourself and put yourself down all the time. "It's… probably better he has you, Kyouya… He'd be happier with you…"

Hibari blinked, having not expected this. He nodded, leaving it be; he didn't know how he could help other than listen to what Mukuro had to say; if the illusionist wanted to talk about how he felt, Hibari would listen in silence, unable to promise he could help any other way.

It fell silent between the two, Dino soon moving seats so that he could give them some privacy; Tsuna had told him all about their strange 'friendship', and he knew his presence would only get in the way.

Hibari had taken to reading a book while Mukuro, hurt over the fact that Fran hadn't even glanced at him as he passed by at Yamamoto's side, quickly let himself drift into sleep. The skylark only noticed this once a head of blue hair fell onto his shoulder, the younger fast asleep.

Hibari didn't mind this; he continued to read peacefully. Even when Mukuro eventually curled up across the seats, using the older male's lap as a pillow, the Prefect was fine; he just threaded calloused fingers through soft locks as he read, eventually letting himself slip into slumber as well.


	17. Chapter 17

Within the weeks that had passed by since the Vongola's return to Japan, Tsuna couldn't help but notice that, though Mukuro _did _seem accepting of the brunet's new relationship, the illusionist appeared to be hurting greatly over it; he seemed distant at times, and though he and Hibari were still getting along, sometimes he would purposely seek out a fight with the older male, as if to vent his disappointment at losing out.

Tsuna had tried to talk to the blue-haired teenager, but Mukuro was adamant in saying he was okay.

The Sky Guardian was currently around at Hibari's home, the two sitting in the skylark's bedroom together as the brunet received help with his homework – Tsuna _much _preferred his boyfriend's help over his tutor's, because at least _Hibari _didn't threaten him with explosives if he got the answer wrong.

With a sigh, Tsuna slumped backwards in his chair as he looked up at the roof, grabbing the glass of water sitting on the desk before them. "Hibari-san, let's take a break. Can we have lunch, please?"

Onyx eyes looked down at the wristwatch before Hibari nodded. He stood up, leaving the room in order to put something delicious together for his boyfriend. Tsuna didn't mind waiting; it gave him time to sort through his thoughts.

_I wonder how Hibari-san can still stand to live here… _Glancing over to the middle of the floor, the brunet winced, remembering all that time ago he had been here for the first time. _Doesn't he… recall what happened to his parents…? If I were him, I'd have left as soon as I could. _

Sighing to himself, the younger male forced his train of thought to change, knowing it wouldn't do to let himself get _too _distracted; Hibari liked having the smaller male's attention on him, and he wouldn't settle for anything less.

"Herbivore."

Tsuna turned around to see Hibari coming back into the room, his arms laden with a tray of food. He was surprised, having not realised he had daydreamed for as long as he had. Scrambling to his feet, Tsuna made to help the Prefect out.

Hibari didn't thank the other verbally, but he didn't have to; Tsuna knew he was grateful.

"This looks really good, Hibari-san." Tsuna smiled as he grabbed a small dish of onigiri, not knowing what he wanted to sample first.

"Naturally." The skylark sat back in his own chair, a warm cup of tea in his hold.

The two ate in a peaceful silence together before Tsuna asked, "Are you okay with still living here, Hibari-san?"

Hibari blinked at the other before he nodded. "The silence is no more deafening than it was when they were still alive. I don't have to worry about _him _coming back, or disturbing him anymore. My mother should have survived, but that's not the case. I am _happy _he's dead."

"It doesn't hurt you staying here?"

"Not more than it already did, herbivore. I am just fine with being on my own – I already was, after all."

"You know you can always come live with me," Tsuna offered gently. "There's plenty of room."

"The pineapple herbivore won't be too fond of that idea." The Prefect placed his now-empty cup down on the hardwood as he smirked. "He'll get jealous again."

"Mukuro-san is just having a hard time himself; he's been through a lot, and it's hard for him to cope with. If I want you to live with me, he's just going to have to deal with it."

"You sound so heartless right now, herbivore," Hibari mocked.

Tsuna smiled shyly. "I didn't mean for it to sound like that, actually…"

The older male shrugged. "Does he still share your bed?"

"He's back on the futon, although he still won't sleep outside of my room. I hope that's okay, Hibari-san."

"As long as he keeps his hands off of what is mine, it's fine." A possessive glint crossed onyx orbs at these words, Hibari reaching out to pull Tsuna closer to him. "Did you ever find out my question for him?"

"Which one?"

"If he pleasures himself."

Tsuna blushed, burying his face in against his boyfriend's chest. "I asked, but… he didn't want to tell me…"

The skylark sneered, standing up from his seat. He pulled Tsuna with him, leading the younger over to his bed. "I want to have sex now."

Tsuna's cheeks darkened further, having always been embarrassed by how the taller teenager could ask for sex so bluntly. He pressed his face in closer to the other, wrapping his arms around the skylark as his fingers gripped tightly the other's white shirt; he had always been a shy lover, but Hibari loved nothing more than the soft noises Tsuna made, or the way the younger's face so clearly showed how much pleasure he was in.

Hibari embraced the other, stripping the other of his clothing carelessly; while he _did _care for Tsuna, it just wasn't in his nature to be gentle and tender. He knew the brunet understood, so no words were needed between them in these moments.

_**~~XX~~**_

When Hibari accompanied Tsuna into town a few hours later to take the younger over to Gokudera's, they soon came across Mukuro, gathered with his Kokuyo friends. It seemed they were out for ice cream today as they were seated outside at the parlour, cones in their hands.

"Tsunayoshi." Mukuro held out his chocolate-flavoured ice cream, offering the younger some. It was accepted eagerly, the brunet's tongue lapping at the treat.

Hibari didn't say anything about this; he instead turned to look at the blond Kokuyo member who was glaring at him intensely. He ignored the younger males, knowing they weren't of importance to him, and instead turned back to Mukuro and Tsuna, the two conversing amongst themselves. The skylark briefly wondered where Fran was, but he didn't question it; he had seen for himself how fearful of Mukuro the boy seemed to be lately.

"Alright, Mukuro-san, we'd better get going." Tsuna smiled at his friend, waiting for the other to farewell him before they turned around and left.

"He seemed happier today." Hibari glanced down at Tsuna from the corner of his eye.

"I think he just needed a break." The brunet looked up at the sky, thoughts running through his mind. "He's been pretty stressed lately; he said illusionists are vulnerable to mental breakdowns because of their inability to tell reality from illusion sometimes – he's been casting illusions and not even realising; he believed they were real."

"Harmful illusions?" Hibari went tense at this question, not wanting to chance anything happening to his lover.

"Nah; ones harmless enough for him to not notice anything out of the ordinary." A shy smile crossed Tsuna's face, knowing the other was just worried. "It just doesn't help that he's already more fragile than he wants anyone to know…"

Hibari nodded, knowing the younger was right; Mukuro was a proud person, opening up only to Tsuna and him – the only two he believed would understand him.

"An illusionist such as himself should see through his _own _illusions." The skylark didn't like to think of having lost to someone so weak; it bothered him to know that Mukuro's strength was faltering. "If he saw through the Varia illusionist, he should see through his own."

The Vongola Decimo could appreciate Hibari's opinion; the older male just didn't like weakness – the sole reason why he never allowed others to know what he was thinking or feeling. Hibari could hide things just as well as Mukuro had once been capable of, but unlike the Mist Guardian, the Cloud hadn't been pushed _past_ his limits and broken into a thousand pieces that were still trying to be put back together. While the illusionist had suffered in silence with only his thoughts to keep him company, the skylark had the means to vent and cope with his pain by taking it out on others – he hadn't been experimented on, driven into insanity, locked in a water tank with _nothing _to stimulate him… The Prefect was sane enough to keep in control of himself while Mukuro continued to slip, to lose his grasp on reality, his mind warped beyond repair.

It wasn't fair that _either _of them had suffered, but Tsuna believed Mukuro had been worse off; the mafia he hated so much were what had brought him into this life of misery and misfortune, and while he may never banish his hate for the rest of them, at least he had been able to trust in Tsuna, the very same person he had sought to crush.

Tsuna knew it was good that Hibari and Mukuro were becoming friends; they both needed the other, even if they wouldn't admit it.

_**~~XX~~**_

Tsuna had, as always, greatly enjoyed his day out with Gokudera and Yamamoto; they were his best friends, and he wouldn't trade them for anything – just because he had Mukuro and Hibari now did _not _mean he was going to forget about them; he made plans with the other two as often as he could, not the kind of person to abandon one for another.

Now, having arrived back at his home in time for dinner, Tsuna wasn't surprised to find that the blue-haired illusionist was absent from the mealtime.

"Where's Mukuro-san?" Tsuna stood in the doorway of the dining room, his brown eyes wandering over his family.

"Oh, he said he wasn't hungry, Tsu-kun." Nana smiled at her child as she piled more food onto everyone's plates. "He's back up in your room."

Tsuna nodded. He excused himself from dinner, heading back up to his room to check on his friend. As expected, the younger was curled up on the futon, the blankets pulled up over his head with just his soft blue tuft poking out.

"Mukuro-san?" Tsuna closed the door behind him as he moved to kneel by the futon, reaching out to put his hand on the older male's shoulder. "Mukuro-san, are you okay?"

Mukuro hesitated before he pulled the blanket from his body, looking at Tsuna with a questioning gaze. "I am fine… I am just tired tonight…"

"Did you have a good day with your friends?" Tsuna reached out, threading his fingers through blue locks. He smiled when Mukuro nodded. "What did you end up doing?"

"…We got ice cream… had lunch… Just walked around town, mostly…" Mukuro sighed, his heterochromatic eyes looking into brown ones. "I really _am _tired, Tsunayoshi…"

"You look it." Tsuna wasn't joking; his friend really _did _look exhausted. "Do you want me to leave you alone?"

The lanky male shook his head, reaching out to grab the younger's hand. "Please, stay."

Tsuna nodded, sitting down properly and crossing his legs. "Then I will."

Mukuro squeezed the hand in his as he nodded gratefully, moving to rest his head on the warm lap. It was silent between them for a few minutes before the older male asked, "What's it like…?"

"What's what like?" Brown eyes looked down at the fragile teenager, confusion in them.

"…Having a boyfriend… Having… sex…" Mukuro's cheeks flushed slightly as he glanced away.

Tsuna was surprised. "How did you know that's what we do?"

"I knew…" The Mist Guardian let his eyes slip shut, a pained expression crossing his face. "…I knew… That's why I want to know what it's like…"

"You haven't had it before?" It _did _make sense that Mukuro would be a virgin; he was fifteen, antisocial and angry at the world, not to mention spent most of his time in jail or trying to destroy the ones that had caused him so much agony.

"I never said that… I simply said I wanted to know what it felt like."

"Mukuro-san, I don't understand." Tsuna wished he was a better friend, able to connect more with the older male – but even now, when he was needed, he was still No-Good Tsuna.

"…I have had sex before, yes…" Heterochromatic eyes opened , half-lidded as they stared to the side. "I have had it many times… But it was never consensual… It never felt good; it only ever hurt… That's why I wanted to know how it felt…"

"Mukuro-san…" Tsuna felt as if he were about to tear up at hearing this; he could only imagine how frightening it must have been for the illusionist. Wrapping his arms ever-so-gently around the other, Tsuna buried his face in against Mukuro's chest. "I… I'm so sorry…"

"Please drop the honorific, Tsunayoshi." Mukuro returned the embrace, a far-away look to his eyes. "I just want to be Mukuro to you."

Tsuna nodded, knowing this was the skinnier male's way of trying to change the subject. "If you say so, Mukuro. But as for how it feels… I can't really explain it…"

"Did Kyouya force you, or…?" A worried tone seeped into the otherwise silky voice.

"Of course not, Mukuro; it was consensual. Hibari-san was really very curious, and he was starting to get impatient, so I let him take me."

"Was it scary for you…?" The blue-haired teenager winced at what could possibly be the answer.

"A little bit, but I think it was to be expected. Hibari-san was careful for our first time, and though he was a bit rough, he tried his hardest to make it good for me, too. It took a bit, but we got there."

Mukuro nodded, content with the reply. "…Do you think Fran will… be okay from it…?"

Tsuna understood immediately what his friend was asking; he was scared that Fran's mental health would decline from what Belphegor had done to him – just like his own had. "Fran is strong; even so soon after it, he's doing well. He's having a great time with Yamamoto; they both tell me so."

Mukuro smiled in a soft manner, still hurt that he had been forced to drop his own charge on Yamamoto; the teal-haired boy was _much _happier with the baseball star than he was with _him, _after all… It was almost as if… the youngest had replaced him.

The frail teenager knew he had no one but himself to blame; he should have been a better guardian, and not have hurt him as much as he had…

"Do you think Fran will forgive me…?" the older male whispered.

Tsuna nodded, reaching out to pat the other's head. "Of course he will. He loves you. Just give him time."

"…" Mukuro pulled away, hiding back beneath the blankets. He uttered a soft "Goodnight…", and with that, he was on his way to sleep.

The brunet made a mental note to talk to Hibari the next chance he had and see if there was anything they could do to help the illusionist.


	18. Chapter 18

**Finally. The moment everyone has been waiting for and I have been itching to get up to myself; the beginning of a three-way relationship has arrived. **

**Also, this chapter is quite dark in some places, but you can easily skip said parts and still keep on track. **

"Mukuro, are you going to be alright in class today?" Tsuna had his hand on the taller male's shoulder, a soft look on his face; his friend had been up all night, struggling with nightmares, and now the illusionist was exhausted. "You can go back home if you'd rather."

Mukuro shook his head. He was paler than usual, dark bags beneath his eyes. His body swayed slightly from the effort it took for him to stand up straight, big yawns escaping his lips continuously. "I will be fine, Tsunayoshi…"

Tsuna knew there was nothing more he could do other than trust in the other's words so, patting the Mist Guardian on the back, he nodded. "You know where to find me if you need me."

"Indeed. I will see you at break, Tsunayoshi." Nodding to Tsuna's friends politely, Mukuro made his way to his locker, wanting some time to himself; he needed to clear his head before he walked into his classroom, his mind swirling around with thoughts he couldn't control.

Tsuna frowned as he watched his friend leave before turning to Yamamoto and Gokudera. "I'm really worried about him… I thought he was doing better when he first started to trust me, and now… He's really slipping… I'm honestly scared something's going to happen to him, and I don't know how to help…"

Yamamoto wrapped his arm around the smaller male's shoulders as he tried to soothe the brunet. "You're trying your best, Tsuna; you can't do anything other than that."

The smallest teenager sighed as he nodded. "I know, Yamamoto… I just… He's different from Chrome, and… apart from them, I've never… really been around depressed people before… I don't know if what I'm doing is the right thing or if there's something more I need to do…"

Gokudera huffed before he said, "The pineapple bastard's probably just doing it for attention, Tenth; don't look too deeply into this – he's a deceiving, sly bastard who wants nothing to do with us."

"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna shook his head, knowing his friend just didn't trust the illusionist yet. "Gokudera-kun, that's _really _not true; he needs us to _help _him! He's been alone for so long, and without anyone to depend on, so I… think that's _why _he's started going downhill… He had no one to rely on except for himself, so he had no _choice _but to be strong… But now that things are different…"

Gokudera bowed his head in apology, hating whenever he upset the other. "I'm sorry, Tenth…"

Tsuna smiled, never able to remain mad at his friend for long. "It's okay, Gokudera-kun; just please, try and be more friendly to him; he needs us."

The silver-haired male nodded as he adjusted the strap around his shoulder. "Let's go put our bags away, Tenth; this is starting to get heavy."

Tsuna and Yamamoto agreed wholeheartedly, their conversation steering away from Mukuro and towards brighter things. One thing was for sure; the brunet could never feel _too _bad whenever he was around his best friends.

_**~~XX~~**_

As usual, Tsuna had his chin in his hand as he looked out of the window, barely paying attention to what the teacher was talking about. He glanced down at his notes once or twice, realising that the lesson was based around what Hibari had been helping him learn.

_I actually kind of understand how to do this now… _A small smile crossed the brunet's face, knowing he'd have to thank Hibari for all those hours of patience the skylark just didn't have. _Thank you, Hibari-san; I might actually have a chance with this test. _

Tsuna's attention drifted from between the classes to other things in his life, such as planning his day out after school, wondering what Nana would cook for dinner, and if his friends might be interested in going to see that new movie that had just come out in theatres recently.

"And you'll see here that the answer to this question is…" the monotonous voice of the teacher droned on in the background.

Tsuna didn't think anything of it until his stomach started churning and his heart begun to race, a feeling that something just wasn't right. Brown eyes glanced over to his two friends, noticing that Gokudera was taking notes while Yamamoto slept at his desk – nothing wrong there.

_Mukuro…? _The more Tsuna thought about it, the more he knew he was right; he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with the illusionist.

Jumping to his feet, Tsuna ran to his Storm and Rain guardians' sides, pulling them from their seats and getting them to follow him; if Mukuro had _completely _snapped, it would be hard to console him by himself – not to mention _dangerous. _

"What's going on?" Gokudera was greatly surprised by what had happened but, as the Vongola Tenth's right-hand man, he would follow his boss anywhere without clear reason.

"I think something's wrong with Mukuro!" Tsuna was in the lead as he ran up the stairs, his friends close behind him. "I just… It was a gut feeling, and…"

Arriving at the third floor, the three were just in time to see a student run from Mukuro's classroom, a panicked look on her face. None of them stopped her to question her fearful expression; they instead just ran towards the room, hearing an agonised scream that could only belong to Mukuro.

"Mukuro!" Disregarding his own safety completely, the brunet ran towards the thrashing figure on the ground, spidery fingers clawing at a pale face hard enough to draw blood. Heterochromatic eyes were filled with tears, dripping to the ground at a fast enough pace to create small puddles mixed with blood. Leaning down by the trembling body, Tsuna reached out, brushing blue strands out of the scared face before he pulled the older male into a hug. "Mukuro, what happened?!"

When another pained scream ripped itself from the frail teenager's throat, Tsuna felt himself tearing up; it was horrible seeing his friend like this, and he wanted nothing more than to help. Looking around, the brunet was disgusted to see teacher and student alike putting as much distance as possible between the broken illusionist, as if they'd catch whatever 'illness' he had if they got too close.

"Yamamoto!" At Tsuna's call, the Rain Guardian was there, scooping Mukuro into his arms. He started carrying the still-thrashing male from the room, stopping only as vomit forced its way from Mukuro's body, splattering all over the hardwood floor. As always, Tsuna was there, soothing his guardian with promises that it would be okay. "Take him to Hibari's office, Yamamoto; people are staring."

Yamamoto nodded in understanding, hoping just as much as Tsuna that the Mist Guardian would be okay – he quite liked the older teenager, finding him very polite and respectful and interesting to talk to.

_**~~XX~~**_

When Hibari opened his office door to Tsuna's calls, he was not expecting for the three herbivores to run in and towards the couch, a fourth herbivore being laid down on the couch. He blinked before he drew his tonfa, pointing them threateningly towards Yamamoto and Gokudera.

"Leave." Hibari didn't need to tell them twice; they were gone as soon as they had come. Stepping over to the couch, the skylark reached out, touching Mukuro's sweaty forehead briefly, confused by the younger's whimpers and cries. "What happened?"

Tsuna shook his head, biting at his lip. A few tears leaked down his cheeks as he said, "I-I don't know… He was… I didn't – Hibari-san!" In panic, the brunet clung to his boyfriend the second the scenery changed, going from Hibari's office to one of a home he had never seen before. It didn't look like any house one would find in Japan; it was built _far _too differently for Tsuna to even _know_ where it could possibly be.

It appeared they were in a living room of sorts; there was a small TV pressed away in a corner of the blue plaster walls, a black leather couch before it. A bookshelf was on the opposite wall, a large window with drapes just as black as the couch blocking out the sunlight. The room was dark, and the only sign of life was the shouting that was audible from somewhere else.

"Hiee!" Tsuna ducked as something was thrown against the wall, only just missing them. A loud thud resounded once it collided with the plaster and fell to the ground, revealing a boy smaller even than Fran. Their clothes were bloodied rags, their blue hair dishevelled and caked with dry blood. Their matching blue orbs would have looked absolutely stunning were they not staring up at the roof with a dazed expression, their breathing coming out in harsh gasps as if they were finding it hard to breathe.

Tsuna's eyes widened in horror, grasping Hibari's hand as he watched a man with hair a darker shade of blue approach, a foreign language spitting from his lips. He approached the boy lying still on the ground, lifting his leg before bringing it down hard, stomping on the boy's head. The brunet screamed in horror as he fell to his knees, tears leaking harder down his face as he tried desperately to block out the sickening crunches he could hear.

Hibari was stiff as he watched the scene, memories of his own abuse flooding his mind. He felt the terror he hadn't felt in years overwhelm him, becoming lightheaded as his heart raced desperately in his chest. He gulped before he gripped his tonfa tightly, charging at the man before him. He swung, making sure to hit as hard as he possibly could, only for his weapon to slide right through the man, a misty departure taking over both males.

The scene never changed, but both bodies had relocated to the couch now, joined by a few more men that were crowded around the couch. Tsuna lifted his tear-soaked face to look behind him, feeling nausea overwhelm him as he saw that same man lying over the boy's naked body, tiny hands gripping the red shirt the older male wore, as if the boy was searching for the slightest bit of comfort. It was unmistakable what was happening, and it made Tsuna want to cry and scream and beg for it all to stop.

Hibari could feel his mind starting to become clouded as the room they were standing in changed once more, the walls a sickening white with nothing but boxes and crates scattered around the room. In the very far corner of the room sat that same figure, a tad bigger, but covered in just as much blood. His back was to them, his thin body covered in clothing far too big from him. His body shook violently as he sobbed and whimpered, his knees drawn up to his chest as he hugged them tight. Small pleas escaped his lips, begging for someone – _anyone! _– to save him as blood pooled around his broken body. He turned around, as if making sure no one was going to come in, revealing his two blue eyes once again. Tsuna couldn't believe how different two matching eyes looked compared to heterochromatic ones.

Not long after the boy had turned back around, the door opened. Tsuna saw the shaking stopped immediately, and the sobs and pleas had turned into silence. Three men pulled him to his feet by the hair, dragging his body out of the room, and it was then Tsuna saw it; that face that had been marred by trauma, covered in tears and frozen in terror, was now as stoic as Tsuna had grown used to, all signs of distress hidden by a powerful illusion.

Tsuna felt himself dry-heave before he got to his feet, running to the door. "Stop it! Stop it! Mukuro!"

Before the brunet could so much as try the doorknob, the scene went back to Hibari's office. Tsuna sobbed as he turned around, finding Hibari standing over Mukuro, his tonfa raised. The illusionist was unconscious, and it took a split second for the brunet to realise his boyfriend had knocked the blue-haired teenager out.

"M-mukuro…" Tsuna dragged himself over to the couch, pulling Mukuro into a hug as he cried into the older male's chest, having never been so scared before in his life; it had been agonising seeing what Mukuro had been through, and he could only imagine what else had happened – he didn't _want _to know, understanding now that it was completely reasonable that the illusionist was the way he was.

Hibari felt sick as he watched the younger two, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair. He turned around in silence, moving to find somewhere he could sit by himself, his body trembling as he remembered his own abuse clear as day; while it hadn't been to the point _Mukuro's _had, he still knew what it was like to be beaten and put down – it was then he found a new respect for the Mist Guardian; if Mukuro could live through what he had, then he was far stronger than _anyone _would give him credit for.

For once, Hibari didn't mind knowing there was someone stronger than him out there; after all, this had nothing to do with brute strength, but the ability to keep pushing forward, and the skylark would respect _anyone _for that kind of power.

_**~~XX~~**_

It felt like forever since Tsuna had stopped crying. He didn't know what time it was, or how long they'd been here, but Mukuro was still out to it, a pained expression on his face. Hibari had wandered off somewhere, but he was just now coming back to their sides.

"I should not have taken you from him." The Prefect's dark eyes darted between the two. "I did not realise how badly you were needed."

"It's not your fault, Hibari-san." Tsuna smiled at his boyfriend, threading his fingers through blue locks. "You just said it yourself; you didn't know."

"You should have been with him." It was a statement, and they _both _knew it. "You were with him first."

Tsuna frowned. "…I… I didn't know he was going to go downhill…"

"Be with him." Hibari, whose heart was still beating a bit too fast, stood on weak legs; it had been a long time since he had let his past get him down, but… having seen _this…_ "He needs you."

"Hibari-san…?" Tsuna didn't understand what was happening; was Hibari breaking up with him, or…? "I don't…"

"I asked you to be my boyfriend, and neither of us considered his feelings. It was… cruel, on _both _of our behalves… He needs you more than I do, herbivore."

"A-ah, but… Hibari-san…! M-maybe…" Tsuna looked down, knowing he would love to be with Mukuro, but… he also really enjoyed dating Hibari… What was the right thing to do here…? "…W-what if… What if we let him be with _us_?"

The skylark raised a slender eyebrow at this question. "You want us to have a three-way relationship?"

Tsuna nodded, smiling shyly. "Because Mukuro needs to be loved, and he also needs someone to understand him. Please? I… I wouldn't be able to understand him like _you _could, Hibari-san…"

The older male was tense, but he understood where Tsuna was coming from, and after what Mukuro had been put through… The illusionist most certainly didn't deserve being left behind by the world.

But was this something Hibari would be okay with…? He didn't like to share what was his, but…

Hibari almost choked on his saliva as he recalled how desperately the illusionary Mukuro had begged to be saved, just wanting help. Would anything have changed from the Mukuro he was looking at, or…? Or had everything the blue-haired teenager done in the past been nothing more than a cry for help? Just wanting someone to understand him, to pull him out of the darkness and show him that it was _okay_?

"We can _try _it, herbivore." Hibari glanced at Mukuro, uncertainty in his eyes. "…Only if he will agree…"

Tsuna nodded, getting up from the couch to hug his boyfriend tight. "Thank you, Hibari-san!"

"…" Hibari looked away in uneasiness, wondering how this was going to work – but as long as they were _all _happy… that was the important thing, right…?


	19. Chapter 19

**This chapter's actually be done since yesterday; my internet has just been down so I couldn't post it. You should also get a second chapter today if I get it finished or not. **

**A reviewer kindly pointed out that they feel as if Tsuna's character development just stopped, so if anyone else has felt that way, I'm making sure to keep an eye on this and keep developing him as well. If anyone else has anything they feel they should point out, please feel free; I like constructive criticism (as long as it's not a flame) because I always strive to improve my writing and keep the readers happy. **

As it had turned out, Tsuna had still remained at Namimori Middle with Mukuro for quite a few hours after home time. Hibari hadn't minded, but once the illusionist had started to stir and the brunet called upon Yamamoto to get him home, he quickly became annoyed as the baseball herbivore stepped into the office and scooped the blue-haired teenager into his arms. Fran had come with him, his emerald eyes watching his Master carefully – Hibari hated crowding, but just this once he would make an exception.

After Tsuna had promised to text Hibari later and keep him updated, the small group had left the school, making their way back to Tsuna's home. It wasn't quite night just yet, but the sun was starting to go down, and there weren't as many people on the streets.

It was surprising to them all when three other Namimori Middle students bailed them up, their eyes angry and accusing as they pointed to Mukuro. Tsuna recognised them as classmates of the illusionist, and he couldn't help but stress about what they wanted; had Mukuro unknowingly trapped _them _in illusions as well…?

"Keep that freak away from our school, Sawada!" The first male growled, a raven shorter even than Tsuna.

"Yeah; he made us see some freaky shit!" A female, about Gokudera's size, snapped. Her long tresses fell down her back, falling to the side as she bent down to poke Tsuna's chest. "He scared the shit out of one of the students, and the rest of us don't even know what to think!"

The third and last student was silent, but the anger was there.

Fran tugged at Tsuna's sleeve, hiding behind the teenager. He reached his arms up into the air when brown eyes fixed on him, glad that he was being picked up; he didn't like this hostile situation – especially since it was directed towards Mukuro.

"Tuna-Fish…" Fran glanced between the three strangers, wanting to go already.

"It's alright, Fran." Turning his attention back to his fellow students, Tsuna shook his head. "I don't want to fight about this… Please, it was a misunderstanding… We're just trying to get him home…"

"Keep him home where he fucking belongs!"

"Tuna-Fish…!"

Tsuna grabbed Fran's hand. He squeezed it tightly before he put the youngest back down and nudged his side, understanding that the younger was probably scared of what could potentially happen. "Go to Yamamoto, Fran." Turning back to the three students before him, he frowned. "Mukuro is my _friend, _and just because he's having a hard time _doesn't _give _any _of you the right to tell him what to do! He doesn't belong at home; he belongs wherever he _wants _to be! That's the kind of person he is; he won't stay in one place and he does what he wants! Not that any of _you _would understand; you probably haven't even spoken a word to him since he came to school!"

It wasn't every day No-Good Tsuna stood up to someone, the other students knew. He was a timid person, one who tended to stay hidden in the background – so why was he standing up for the blue-haired male?

"It figures No-Good Tsuna would have a friend like _this_." The male gestured to Mukuro, almost as if he knew he wasn't able to refute the brunet's prior argument. "Rejects usually band together!"

Yamamoto frowned at these words. He looked down at Fran, finding the boy clinging to his leg, emerald eyes fixed warily on the strangers. He reached down, patting the apple illusion before he spoke. "There's a _kid _here! You don't know Tsuna; you'd be so lucky to have him as a friend! You're really starting to annoy me, acting as if you know Tsuna and Mukuro when you _don't!_ Tsuna, let's just go; they're not worth the effort."

It frustrated Tsuna to know that, not only had the other students bothered him, they had gotten to _Yamamoto, _too – sweet, gentle, naïve, loving Yamamoto.

"Yeah…" Reaching down, Tsuna picked Fran up from the ground, holding him tight; they all knew the boy was distressed. "It's alright, Fran; we're leaving."

"Bring him back to school tomorrow, and you'll wish you never had!"

"Do anything to him, and you'll regret making those kinds of threats!" Tsuna's brown orbs shone with anger as he glared one last time at the others. "Hibari-san is the only one allowed to bully the other students, so wait until he hears about this."

At the mention of Hibari, the others quickly fell silent, hurrying away; they knew all too well that the skylark didn't tolerate bullying in _his _school, but it was truly ironic when he was the biggest bully of them all, even if he meant well most of the time – he just hated crowding with a passion and went to drastic measures to make sure it didn't happen around him. 

With that said and done, Tsuna started explaining to Yamamoto what had happened in the office, until they were finally standing on the doorstep of the Vongola Guardian's home. Yamamoto carried Mukuro upstairs while Tsuna talked to his mother, Fran following his Master in concern.

"Is Master going to be okay, Takeshi?" Emerald orbs looked up at the Rain Guardian, tiny fingers patting Mukuro's cheek.

Yamamoto smiled at the boy once he had laid his friend down on Tsuna's bed. He picked Fran up, putting him on his shoulder as he stood in the room, waiting patiently for the smaller teenager to come back up.

"He'll be fine, Fran," the dark-haired male soothed. "He just needs some rest and he'll be good as new."

The young illusionist turned to look out of the window, finding that it had started to rain; they were just in time to miss it. "It was raining earlier. I was watching the TV and I heard it. Do you think that's what scared Master?"

"I'm not sure." Yamamoto certainly felt bad for Mukuro, unable to understand what the older male was going through. "I hope he gets over his phobia one day."

Fran nodded, kicking his legs back and forth against Yamamoto's chest. "I think Master hates me…"

"He doesn't hate you, Fran; he loves you. What makes you think that?"

"He hurt me all the time before…" Fran sighed. "…Then he stabbed me…"

The baseball star shook his head. "You're young, so you probably won't understand, but he never meant to do _any _of those things. He was just stressed at times, and… he didn't see you when he… hit you with the trident…"

"Didn't see me…?" A head of teal hair tilted to the side, emerald orbs blinking in confusion. "But… I was right _there_…! I only wanted… to hug him and… ask him to stop fighting…"

"Mukuro's blind in his right eye, Fran." Yamamoto reached up, patting a frail shoulder. "That's why he didn't see you."

"…" Fran looked to the door when it opened, finding Tsuna stepping into the room. "Tuna-Fish…"

"Is Mukuro awake?" The brunet closed the door quietly behind him, moving to his bed. He reached out, brushing blue strands out of the pale face. The illusionist's eyes were still closed tightly, his mouth set in a firm frown. Turning his attention to Yamamoto instead, Tsuna smiled. "Thank you for helping me get him home, Yamamoto. Want to stay for dinner?"

"Ah, that'd be great." Yamamoto grinned brightly as he pulled Fran down from his shoulder, putting the boy back on the ground. "Got any new videogames?"

"Yeah, a couple. Come downstairs."

With that, Mukuro was alone.

_**~~XX~~**_

When Tsuna came to check on Mukuro just after dinner, he found the older male laying on his back, staring up at the roof. He had a distant aura about him, as if his mind was anywhere but in reality.

"Mukuro?"

Heterochromatic eyes blinked a few times before the illusionist turned to look at his friend. When Mukuro spoke, it was in a defeated voice. "Tsunayoshi… I sincerely apologise for today…"

"It wasn't your fault." Tsuna moved to sit on the edge of the bed, taking the frail hand in his. "You didn't mean it."

Looking away, Mukuro whispered, "I was so caught up in my memories, I didn't even realise… that I had trapped myself in illusions, reliving my past… and consequently trapped everyone else, as well…"

"Yeah, but Hibari-san snapped you out of it." Tsuna offered a shy laugh at these words. "We looked after you for a while before Yamamoto helped me get you back home."

Mukuro frowned as he rolled onto his side, looking past Tsuna and over to the TV set across from them. "…I did not want anyone to know of my past with such detail… Especially not to have witnessed some of the things I had been put through… What you all saw was nothing compared to what you could have seen…"

"But… if you keep it all locked up inside of you, and don't let anyone know, then how could we ever help you?" Tsuna frowned. "Please… It was hard for _all _of us to see that, but… I'm sure that if we knew, we could help you better."

Mukuro looked to his friend for a few seconds before he allowed the imagery to change, changing to one of a bedroom that could only belong to the house they had seen hours earlier. This suspicion was confirmed when the same two illusionary people were found on the bed, the man from before beating what was a very young Mukuro.

Little Mukuro had blood all over his face, bruises covering him, but no matter how far away he was kicked and punched, he would lay in a daze where he had fallen for a few seconds before he'd get back up, trying to approach his father. His eyes held a distant look to them, his mouth downturned in a frown as tears leaked down his cheeks. He would reach out to his father, his tiny fingers so close to curling in to the material to pull himself in against the man causing him so much pain, only to be hit in the head with what looked to be a small steel pipe.

No matter how much he was beaten, however, Mukuro continued trying to seek comfort and warmth from his abuser, and nothing could have broken Tsuna's heart more than this did.

When the figures faded away like mist, replaced by two naked bodies on the bed, the man thrusting savagely into the tiny body beneath him, Tsuna was sickened to see that, even amidst what must have been horrendous pain, Mukuro was clinging to his father as he cried, his tiny arms wrapped around the man's shoulder as he hugged tight, his cheek resting against the adult's neck as if he were searching for the slightest bit of what he could perceive as love.

Tsuna felt as if he could start crying again but, before he had the chance, the scene changed back to his bedroom.

"That bastard never showed me an ounce of love… No matter how much I showed _him…_" A dark look crossed heterochromatic eyes. "No matter… how much I tried to find comfort in him… I started to believe that what he was doing to me… maybe _that_ was love… Then all the experiments… All the pain… It wasn't love… That soulless, pitiful excuse of a human being didn't even know the meaning of it… If I couldn't even love, trust or rely on my parent, how was I ever supposed to feel that way with anyone else…?"

"I'm sorry, Mukuro…"

It fell silent between them for a few minutes before Tsuna smiled, reaching out to brush his fingertips against a pale cheek. Mukuro looked at him with a confused look, exhaustion evident in all of his features.

"Hey, Mukuro?"

"Yes, Tsunayoshi?"

"Hibari-san and I… We were talking earlier, and…" a blush crossed Tsuna's face as he reached up, scratching at his cheek shyly, "…we were wondering if you would want to be our boyfriend."

Mukuro blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Well, if you were still interested in a relationship… Hibari-san says it's okay to for you to be with us."

Mukuro blinked, not quite sure he was understanding this correctly. "…A three-way relationship…?"

"Yeah."

"Kyouya… actually agreed…?" The Mist Guardian frowned, unable to believe the skylark would allow such a thing to happen – the Kyouya he knew would have bitten _anyone _to death for trying to get what was his.

"He said we could try." Tsuna smiled. "Please? It'll be okay; we won't hurt you."

"I know…" Mukuro glanced to the side. "It's just… I didn't realise three people could be in a relationship… How does that work?"

"It's just the same as a normal relationship, but there are three partners instead of two." Tsuna rested his head against the illusionist's chest, listening to the irregular heartbeat. "You'll be happy with us, Mukuro; I'm sure of it."

While it was true Mukuro was greatly curious about relationships, he hadn't the slightest of what happened in them apart from sex – something he could only link to fear, pain and humiliation. But… Tsuna was so gentle… And Hibari really wasn't the type to take advantage of someone… As long as they didn't expect him to put out so soon…

Should he at least give it a try and see how it goes…?

"I do not want sex just yet, but…" Mukuro glanced away, hoping he wasn't about to get himself into something he regretted, "…I do wish to learn and feel loved…"

Tsuna smiled as he leant up, pressing his lips against his friend's. "You _will _be loved, Mukuro; I promise."

The Mist Guardian returned the kiss, carefully embracing the smaller male. He soon rested their foreheads against each other, patting brunet locks gently. "I do not know much about relationships, so… please forgive me if I mess up."

Tsuna laughed quietly before he shook his head. "You won't mess up, Mukuro; you'll be just fine."

Mukuro nodded, relaxing slightly. "I can… sleep with you again now, right…?" His tone was hopeful.

"Of course you can. Yamamoto's staying the night, and we're downstairs playing videogames. Want to join us?"

The illusionist was visibly happier at this invitation, nodding. He slid off the bed and stretched for a few seconds before he followed his new boyfriend out of the room and downstairs, feeling that already, things were slowly improving.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Ha! Lambo-san wins again!" The Bovino baby laughed loudly as he threw his controller at Tsuna before he turned to Fran, pulling his eyelid down as he stuck his tongue out at the illusionist he had just beaten at Mario Kart. He was sitting on the floor next to Mukuro, the other three on the couch. The older illusionist had his back resting against the couch, seemingly relaxed where he was. "Loser!"

Fran blinked, putting the controller down calmly on his lap before he conjured an army of illusionary spiders, sending them straight towards the younger kid. He smiled in amusement when the Italian boy screamed, running from what he believed were real creepy crawlies.

"Oi, Fran!" Tsuna sighed when emerald eyes turned to fix on him, as innocent as ever. "Don't scare him like that…"

Yamamoto, who had Fran on his lap, laughed as he picked up the controller from the teal-haired boy, watching as Mukuro grabbed Lambo's abandoned one. "You can pick the course, Mukuro."

Mukuro nodded, flicking through them all until he picked one at random. He played with Bowser while Yamamoto picked Yoshi, the two getting along well as they competed. Fran bounced in his friend's lap excitedly as he cheered for them both, Tsuna diverting his attention between the game and his phone as he felt the device vibrate with an incoming message.

'_Any news, herbivore?'_

Tsuna couldn't help but smile, finding it endearing that his boyfriend called everyone herbivores, even over text.

'_He's accepted, but he doesn't know what to do. Be patient with him, please.'___Tsuna dropped his phone to his lap, laughing brightly as Yamamoto drove his character over the edge. "Yamamoto, just what were you trying to accomplish with that?"

The taller male laughed cheerfully as he waited patiently for his character to be put back on the road. "I don't know, Tsuna; I didn't think that one through!"

'_Bring him to my office tomorrow if he's coming to school. I heard rumours flying around about his classmates and teachers. None of them like him.' _

'_Yeah, we ran into some on the way home. They don't want him to come back to Namimori Middle. They made threats against him and got even Yamamoto angry.' _Looking at the blue-haired teenager who was currently having so much fun, Tsuna couldn't help but understand how someone could hate a person as gentle as Mukuro – while it was true the other could be cruel, the brunet just couldn't fit him in with the ones who had made him the way he was; Mukuro simply wanted to be loved, but the damage done to him was too great for him to know how to trust others, leading him to pushing everyone away and becoming aggressive in an attempt to protect himself.

Though it wasn't an easy thing to accomplish, once you had Mukuro's trust, you wouldn't find a sweeter, more gentle person than the illusionist.

'_I'll bite them to death if they try anything.' _Hibari himself seemed to appreciate Mukuro's fragile nature; Tsuna had never known him to become protective of someone before until a broken Mukuro came into the picture.

'_Thank you, Hibari-san. We're playing videogames if you want to come around.'_

'_Busy. See you tomorrow, herbivore.' _

'_Goodnight.'_

Slipping his phone back into his pocket, Tsuna focused solely on his friends, feeling his heart warm at Mukuro's genuine laughter once he had beaten Yamamoto at the game.

"That's three wins for me." Mukuro looked greatly pleased with himself as he watched Tsuna take the remote from his friend. "It looks as if I am in the lead."

Fran jumped off Yamamoto's lap, wrapping his arms around his teacher's neck as he settled himself in on the older male's lap. He sent a charming smile up to his guardian, his eyes shining brightly. "I like you when you're happy, Master. You're scary when you're sad because I never know if you're going to hurt me again."

Mukuro offered a gentle smile as he patted the apple illusion, letting the boy rest against him as he got himself ready for the next match. "Then I'll try to be happier more often for you, Fran."

"So you don't hate me?" The boy's mouth hung open as he waited anxiously for the answer; he hoped with all his being that Yamamoto was right, but…

"Oya oya, why on Earth would I hate you, Fran?"

"Because sometimes it's like you hate the world and everyone in it. Even puppies and kittens, Master."

Yamamoto laughed loudly at this while Tsuna blushed; the brunet was just glad Mukuro seemed to have taken no offence to these words, instead chuckling as he divided his attention between Fran and the game.

"At least Fran seems to have forgiven Mukuro," Tsuna whispered to Yamamoto, earning a nod from the taller male.

Tsuna could understand that there was still a long way to go with _both _his boyfriends, but as long as there was still the slightest piece of them that was still salvageable, he wouldn't give up on them – especially not when he loved so dearly seeing them happy like this.

_**~~XX~~**_

With Yamamoto sleeping soundly in the guestroom, Tsuna and Mukuro had just changed for bed. Fran was already out to it, having fallen asleep some time into their games. Mukuro had dressed him in pyjamas and laid him down on the futon, and now all that was left was to get in bed themselves.

Tsuna was comforted by the long arms that wrapped around him, holding him tight against the illusionist's body. Mukuro was propped up on his arm, pressing their lips together a few times before he lay back down, burying his face in against the messy brown hair he had come to love.

Mukuro was nervous about being in a relationship, especially with _two _boyfriends, but as long as he could hold and kiss and caress Tsuna like this, he was happy; nothing made him feel safer than having the small Sky Guardian resting against him like this – it was almost like salvation from his traumatising past, as if everything he had been through was null, and the pain he experienced constantly had never existed in the first place.

Part of him knew he would never truly escape his past, but with someone there to finally help keep him sane, Mukuro knew he would do his best to fight against the agony that had been tearing him apart for his entire fifteen years of existence.

**Not to worry, guys; there's still more to come. Just wondering; would you guys be interested in this eventually moving to the TYL time skip after everything's said and done for this timeline? I'm not sure how many chapters I'd make it if I go TYL; it would probably be more suited to an epilogue, I think. It's up to you guys, though. **


	20. Chapter 20

When Mukuro and Tsuna arrived at the Disciplinary Committee office the next morning, they found Hibari sitting on the couch with a book open on his lap, having been waiting patiently for them. He must have been here a while, because he was already a significant way through what looked to be a long novel.

"Do you not sleep, Kyouya?" Mukuro looked around the office as he pulled his hand from Tsuna's, pointing at the book. "How early do you get here, anyway?"

"Early enough." Hibari closed the book and put it onto the coffee table in front of him. He stood up and sauntered towards the younger two, his dark eyes observing them closely. Reaching out, he slowly moved his hand towards Mukuro's face, understanding when panic crossed the illusionist's face and the taller male stepped back, turning his head away from the touch. "Look at me, herbivore."

Mukuro looked to Tsuna, finding the brunet nodding at him. He inhaled before he obeyed, wincing when calloused fingers came ever closer to him. He drew in a sharp breath as he felt them ghost over his cheek, heterochromatic eyes closing. Tsuna reached out, threading his fingers through blue locks in a soothing manner.

"It's alright, Mukuro." The brunet moved to embrace the tallest male, knowing touch wasn't an easy thing for him to allow. "Hibari-san won't hurt you."

Mismatched eyes opened to dart between the smaller teenagers, his body starting to shake now. He swallowed heavily when the skylark's face came close to his, whimpering when warm lips pressed against his. Hibari wasn't forceful with this kiss; he knew better than that.

The two gave Mukuro time to adjust to the kiss and, soon enough the Mist Guardian was pressing back. The one thing he wouldn't do was open his mouth, and Hibari wondered if that was on purpose or not.

Pulling away from the younger, the Prefect said, "Open your mouth."

Heterochromatic eyes blinked. "Why?"

Hibari looked to Tsuna at this, the youngest laughing nervously as he tried to clear things up. "M-mukuro doesn't have much knowledge about things like this, Hibari-san…!"

The Cloud Guardian blinked, surprised by this; Mukuro was fifteen, and he went to school – how did he not take sexual education classes? Or, at the very least, hear and see his classmates' intimacy? Was he really that traumatised, he avoided it at all costs?

Tsuna reached out, bringing Mukuro's face down to his. He smiled as he kissed the older male, his cheeks reddening as he asked for entry. The illusionist was hesitant, but he soon opened his mouth, his tongue instinctively retreating away from the wet muscle that brushed against it.

The brunet's fingers stroked the illusionist's cheek, slowly coaxing his boyfriend into an open-mouth kiss. The older male was nervous, but Tsuna could understand; Mukuro just needed patience in order to come out of his shell.

Mukuro's tongue danced shyly with Tsuna's, his heterochromatic eyes watching the brunet warily. When they broke apart for air, the illusionist lifted his hand to his lips, blinking in a dazed manner as he ghosted his fingers over his swollen lips.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Tsuna patted the older male's shoulder, embracing the teenager he had become so close to.

Mukuro shook his head. He rested his chin in brunet locks as he returned the hug, pulling Tsuna in close. "Is this why Kyouya asked me to come here before class? Just to kiss?"

The skylark shook his head. "No, herbivore; I had to talk to you about something."

"What's that?" Mukuro tried his hardest to stay still as the older male reached out to him once again, tense as warm fingers ran down his cheek.

"Your classmates."

"Oya?"

Hibari nodded. "Your herbivorous classmates are angry at you for yesterday."

Mukuro frowned as he looked away. "I didn't… mean for that to happen… I lost control, and…"

"We know." The skylark moved to pick his book back up, carefully marking the page he had gotten up to. He took it over to the bookshelf where he had gotten it from, tender with the novels. Turning back to the two, Hibari looked them over with dark eyes. "Class will start in fifteen minutes. Sit down if you wish."

Tsuna smiled before he shook his head, a soft look crossing his eyes. "I would, but Gokudera-kun said he'd quickly help me with some homework before class. I'll see you two at break."

Mukuro's cheeks reddened slightly as the brunet kissed him in farewell, feeling a tad warmer as he watched those same lips move to Hibari next. He knew they had already moved far enough in their relationship than the illusionist would be comfortable with, so he could only hope they wouldn't mind taking it slow with him.

When Tsuna was gone, mismatched eyes looked to Hibari. The skylark was moving over to the far wall, approaching what looked to be a kettle, some teabags and a container of sugar. A mini-fridge was next to the counter, and Mukuro wondered what was in there – food, perhaps? Or drinks? Maybe both…

"Tea?" Hibari had reached up to the shelf above the tiny area, grabbing two mugs down. He looked over at Mukuro, proceeding with making two cups of tea when he received a nod in reply. It was silent between them until they were both sitting on the couch together, mugs of steaming hot tea in their hands. They sipped at it peacefully as they waited for class to begin, both content with each other's' presence; neither of them were very social, so it was always nice to just sit quietly like this.

Glancing up at the clock on the wall, Hibari sighed as he put his cup down on the coffee table. He got to his feet, standing still as he waited for the other to do the same. "I'll take you to your class. Those herbivores need sense knocked into them."

Mukuro didn't speak as he followed the older male, his heterochromatic eyes closing as he sighed, realising that if everyone they passed were staring at him like he were an abomination, then word must have gotten out about yesterday.

Hibari stopped just before Mukuro's classroom, leaning against the wall opposite the door as he folded his arms against his chest; he knew that, with the students crowding outside the room, the teacher had not yet arrived which could also mean other students were still on their way. The illusionist stood with his boyfriend, observing his nails with interest; he was rather intrigued by how Hibari may possibly handle this, and the idea of him beating the absolute shit out of them all sounded like the best possibility – he hadn't _meant _to drag them into his illusions, so they had no right to treat him badly for something he couldn't help.

"That herbivorous teacher is coming now." Hibari glared at the man who was coming down the hallway. "Wait a few minutes so everyone's here."

Mukuro nodded. He ignored the glares directed at him and instead busied himself with running his fingers through his blue hair, talking quietly with the older male in contentment. It didn't take them long to walk into the classroom together and, once they were noticed, the atmosphere changed from calm and peaceful to one of panic.

Hibari fingered his tonfa as he leant against the doorframe, observing the class with dark eyes. "I heard all about the 'talk' from the students in this class. I'm only going to make myself clear to herbivores _once_; if _anything _happens to Rokudo, I'll bite each and every one of you in this room to death – no exceptions."

"…" No one moved an inch, terrified of Hibari's wrath.

"One more thing before I leave…" A sneer crossed the skylark's face as he casually pulled his tonfa into view, regarding it with an affectionate look. "Which three herbivores were the ones to have harassed Sawada Tsunayoshi yesterday?" When no one raised their hands, the Prefect's sneer widened. "You have two choices; either the three responsible fess up now, or the entire class gets bitten to death."

There were unified gasps around the room before a female student with her blond hair pulled back in pigtails pointed out three students on the other side of the room. "It was them! They were telling me about it this morning! I swear it was them!"

"Oh?" Hibari smirked as he tapped his tonfa against his arm. "You three herbivores; wait out in the corridor for me."

The three students that had been dobbed in hesitated before they hurried out of the room, knowing that disobeying would only make it worse for them. Hibari waited until they were outside before he said, "Anyone who gives either Sawada Tsunayoshi or Mukuro Rokudo trouble will personally be answering to me. I suggest you all behave."

"Kufufu~" Heterochromatic eyes shone with amusement as the younger male turned to Hibari. "You have them so well trained, Kyouya!"

Hibari just reached up, pulling the taller male down so that he could kiss the illusionist. He gripped the skinny forearm in a possessive hold before he broke apart for air, turning around in silence to deal with the three herbivores. The two completely ignored the horrified looks being sent their way; they knew that with the class now knowing the relationship between the two students, no one would _dare _do anything to Mukuro – not when he was with Hibari, after all.

Mukuro just smiled playfully at his teacher and classmates before he calmly moved to his seat, adjusting his cream-coloured jacket as he waited patiently for the lesson to resume. He could almost start laughing at the idea of Tsuna trying to take control of the class the way Hibari naturally could; he was pretty sure that if the well-meaning brunet tried, he would be laughed out of the room.

_**~~XX~~**_

When everyone met up after school had ended, Tsuna was surprised to see that, for once, Hibari was joining them. The raven didn't look as if he wanted to socialise with them all, instead reaching out to pull Mukuro over to him.

"Are you busy today, herbivore?" Dark eyes fixed on Tsuna as Hibari waited for an answer.

"Ah, sorta." Tsuna looked over at Gokudera and Yamamoto, hoping he wasn't holding them up. "We were just going to go out for lunch and see a movie. You can come with us if you want to."

"I don't like crowding, herbivore." Hibari pulled Mukuro closer by the back of the younger's Namimori Middle jacket. "I'm taking this herbivore."

"Oya oya, you didn't even ask for my permission." Mukuro smiled down at the skylark, not minding that his plans had been changed without his consent.

"Do you want to come over for dinner, Hibari-san?" The brunet checked his watch, making sure they weren't going to run out of time before the movie started. "My mum would love to have you again."

"Perhaps." Hibari was genuinely considering it, but he didn't like how crowded Tsuna's home was; he preferred for them to have dinner at his own where it was just the two of them. "I'll see what I can do."

"Bye, guys." Tsuna pushed himself up on his toes slightly to kiss Hibari goodbye, needing to get even higher _and _pull Mukuro down to do the same to him. "I'll see you both later."

Mukuro embraced his younger boyfriend, kissing the other's lips in farewell. He allowed himself to be dragged away from the group by Hibari, the skylark growing impatient with being crowded so much. He simply chuckled before he said, "I was under the impression you would be spending several hours up in your office."

"I usually do." Hibari stopped walking, letting the other get his own feet. He waited for the illusionist to adjust his strap bag before he himself did the same, leading the younger to his home. "I have no need today; I've dealt with everything I needed to do."

They started walking again, Hibari falling silent as they did so; he wasn't used to having company on his walks back home, except for maybe Kusakabe, but that wasn't often. Mukuro started small conversations every now and then, talking about small things the Mist Guardian was interested in. The skylark didn't reply back very much, he listened in careful silence, taking note of everything that had been said; while he wasn't much of a talker, he had always been a fantastic listener – most people just didn't get that impression of him.

Even as they walked through the busy streets, Hibari paid attention to the younger. He noticed the way the happy glint in mismatched eyes disappeared the second someone got too close to them, replaced by fear and distrust. He could see the small trembles that assaulted the scrawny body if someone accidentally brushed past Mukuro without warning. He wasn't oblivious to the sudden silence that washed over them that ended only once they were out of the shopping district and instead in quieter neighbourhoods. Most importantly, Hibari saw that his boyfriend's eyes shone with joy once more, all signs of discomfort gone and pleasant conversations being started once more.

Hibari was no fool; he knew Mukuro was comfortable enough with him to put his past in the back of his mind and, to be completely honest, it made him feel good inside, as if he were worth something in this world of strength, hatred and mistrust.

The truth was, Hibari had never sought out his power in order to be feared; he had simply just wanted his father's approval in the beginning, but when it became clear that would never happen again, the skylark had wanted to crush the man who had torn his family apart. He hadn't meant to put everyone below him, or to have turned out the way he had, but with his father telling him how pathetic he was, how _weak _he was, it had been impossible to not lose himself to the things he had been put through.

In trying to prove to his father that he _was _someone, he had lost sight of who he really was. Maybe he would never get back on the right track again. Maybe he wouldn't ever remember who he really was, or how he had once been – a kid who loved their parents' attention, had wanted nothing more than to be everyone's friend – but did that really matter anymore? The past was the past and there was no use dwelling on it; Mukuro had proved what could become of one who couldn't be stronger than their history.

Shaking his head, the skylark changed his train of thought, instead listening to what the younger was telling him about. Maybe things would never be the way they once were, but Hibari didn't care; he was content with how things were now, and that was all that mattered.

_**~~XX~~**_

It had been a split second decision on both of their behalves for Mukuro to spend the night at Hibari's home. It had come about due to the fact that, sometime after dinner, the skies had darkened and raindrops slowly fell to the ground. The illusionist had been tense at the discovery, but the Prefect had quickly remedied this by turning the TV on and telling Mukuro to pick a channel. They had sat together on the couch for a while, just watching TV, before Hibari had declared it was bedtime.

Mukuro had been embarrassed to not have any pyjamas with him, and he most certainly didn't want to sleep naked, so he had been relieved when the older male had let him wear his uniform to bed – he had almost expected for the Prefect to find such an idea insulting, considering how much he loved the school.

Now, with the two curled up on the skylark's bed, they both found themselves taking another step towards recovery.

"Hey, Kyouya…?" Mukuro moved closer to the other on the other side of the bed. Hibari grunted softly, having almost been asleep already. "Can we cuddle?"

A dark eye cracked open to look into heterochromatic ones, lightning from outside lighting the room up briefly while thunder roared overhead, the wind assaulting the house with such force, the illusionist wondered if the building could withstand it.

"I don't cuddle the brunet herbivore." Hibari moved away from the younger, pulling the blankets tighter around him. "I don't cuddle _anything_."

"Kufufu~ But I like to cuddle, Kyouya. It's warm and comforting."

Hibari sighed, lying motionless as lanky arms wrapped around him, pulling him against the warm body behind him; he knew he wouldn't talk Mukuro out of it, so he may as well indulge in the taller male's desires for a while – at least until the other fell asleep and he could pull himself from the grasp.

However, things didn't go as planned when the skylark found himself rolling over, reaching out to run his hands over Mukuro's body. The younger pressed closer to him, purring in delight.

"Kyouya…" Mukuro buried his face in silky black hair, content with what was happening. He tensed slightly as hands slipped beneath his shirt, only to relax; it was just Hibari, and he could trust the older teenager.

"I don't feel your scars." Hibari stopped moving his hand, as if to emphasise his point. "You're using illusions to hide them from me."

"…Kyouya…"

Hibari sat up, leaning across the Mist Guardian so that he could turn the bedside lamp on. He looked down at Mukuro, not a single vibe of anger coming from him. "Don't use illusions around me, herbivore. Especially not to hide such importance."

"…Importance…?"

Hibari didn't reply verbally; he just lifted his black nightshirt in order to show his boyfriend the faded scars on his body. They weren't as numerous or severe as Mukuro's, but they were there nonetheless, and had been inflicted by hands that should never have hurt the skylark _ever_.

Mukuro frowned as he reached out, ghosting his fingers over the old wounds. He looked into dark eyes, biting at his lip. "…You can show them freely…?"

"Only to you, and the Sawada herbivore. Don't hide yours from me – not when you've seen mine."

Mukuro closed his eyes as he nodded, dropping the illusion he kept up all day every day. Hibari moved his hand forward, palming the scars that would forever cover his boyfriend's body.

Somehow, just by having such a tender touch on his body, Mukuro found himself at peace, forgetting the agony associated with those wounds and instead laying back down on the bed watching the older male. He yawned softly before he let his eyes slip closed, lost to the world of dreams.

Hibari pulled his hand back to his person, resting once more against the taller body. He didn't mind when spidery fingers clutched at his pyjamas tightly; it all just meant that, apart from Tsuna, someone else was finally starting to trust him – someone he, too, could trust in return.


	21. Chapter 21

While Mukuro wasn't much of an early riser - not through any fault of his own - Hibari would always get up at the crack of dawn. He had tried to rouse his boyfriend from sleep, only to have the other swat his hands away with a grumpy frown before slipping back into unconsciousness; the skylark would take this to his grave, but he thought the illusionist was adorable when he was cranky.

"Mmm…" Mukuro snuggled tighter into his blankets, sighing peacefully as a soft smile crossed his face. Hibari reached out, brushing blue strands of hair out of the younger's features. The illusionist had had very few nightmares last night, and all it had taken to soothe the Mist Guardian was to stroke his hair; Hibari took this as a sign of complete trust.

Hibari had let the younger sleep for a while longer while he got himself ready for the day, preparing breakfast and tea next. Once the two were – eventually - seated at the dining table, there was a comfortable silence between them as Hibari enjoyed his breakfast while Mukuro continued trying to wake up properly.

After a bit of TV and some cuddling – the Mist's request, of course – the two had set off into town, on their way over to Tsuna's home; his family and Reborn were away for the day, and the skylark was comfortable enough to go over and visit his boyfriend; he preferred the brunet to come to his own house, the youngest living in a _far _too crowded home for the Prefect to be calm with.

"Kyouya?"

Hibari stopped and turned around to face the taller male, the two having just passed by a lolly shop. The illusionist had a contented smile on his face as he raised a skinny arm, pointing to the building.

"May I get some chocolate while we are here?"

Hibari nodded. He stepped closer to his boyfriend, looking in through the window. He shuddered at the sight of people inside, his fingers instinctively closing around the handle of his tonfa. "I'm waiting outside…"

Mukuro understand. He hugged his boyfriend for a few seconds before he broke away, licking his lips at the thought of chocolate; it had been a while since he had had any, and it was his favourite food, after all.

Hibari leant against the brick building as he waited, watching everyone pass by him with careful eyes; just because he had a boyfriend now – _two _boyfriends, actually – didn't mean he could go soft on those harming Namimori. He scrutinised every little action, searching for the slightest thing wrong, and he was pleased when he didn't have to bite someone to death; people were doing the right thing, after all.

"Kyouya~"

Onyx eyes blinked as Hibari unfolded his arms from his chest, using his foot to push off the bricks and stand on the ground once again. He looked at the bag of chocolate hanging from the lanky male's arm, finding more than enough confectionary inside than the Mist Guardian could possibly consume by himself. "Why did you buy so much?"

Mukuro's smile became as playful as ever as he reached into the bag, resurfacing with a chocolate bar. He waited until Kyouya had hesitantly accepted the food before he said, "I bought some for you, Tsunayoshi and Fran as well."

Hibari was surprised by the younger's generosity; he certainly wasn't used to people thinking of him, let alone _buying _things for him; he was used to having to do everything for himself, but this was a welcome change of pace.

"…Thank you, herbivore…" The skylark slowly unwrapped the candy bar, watching from the corner of his eye as the taller teenager devoured his chocolate like there was no tomorrow. Snorting silently, the Prefect reminded himself to never eat in such an undignified manner.

_**~~XX~~**_

"For you."

Tsuna blinked as he was handed the plastic bag Mukuro had been holding. He opened it, peeking in warily, knowing it could have always been one of the illusionist's pranks – to his surprise, there was a mountain of chocolate inside.

Smiling up at the tallest male, Tsuna thanked his boyfriend. "Thank you, Mukuro. I'll share it with Fran when he comes back with mum."

"Please do."

Putting the bag on the end of the bed, Tsuna stood up to get dressed. He could feel Hibari's eyes lingering on him as he pulled his shirt from his torso, and when he turned around to look, Mukuro was pointedly looking anywhere but at the brunet, a red tint crossing his cheeks.

"You are embarrassed." Hibari looked over at the younger male, confused as to why Mukuro would rather crumple his empty chocolate bar wrapper with shaking hands than look at his own boyfriend getting dressed. He didn't understand this; dressing was a normal part of daily life, so why would the blue-haired teenager be embarrassed about such a normal thing? "Why?"

When Mukuro didn't reply, Tsuna explained what he felt was the correct answer. "I'm sure Mukuro just isn't used to intimate situations, Hibari-san; they might make him nervous because of what he remembers."

Mukuro nodded, lifting a hand up to his face to chew on his nails. Hibari blinked a few times before he tilted his head. "But there is no sexual contact. Why does he associate such a natural act with sex?"

Tsuna could see that Mukuro was becoming more nervous with the minute, so he gently said, "Hibari-san, I'm sure he'll tell you himself in due time; for now, you're making him uncomfortable."

Hibari had to take just one look at Mukuro before he understood. He nodded, mostly to himself, stepping closer to the taller teenager. He reached out, sliding his hands beneath the mist-patterned shirt in order to lift it up. The younger gasped quietly as he became tense, his traumatised mind perceiving this whole ordeal as sexual.

"D-don't…!" Instinctively, the Mist Guardian slapped at the hands he could feel on his bare skin. His breathing hitched as he started to tremble, almost unable to see the two he was closest to – instead, it was as if he were at his father's mercy again, a little boy just desperate for comfort. He whimpered as he tried to step back, only to feel the warm body before him follow.

Tsuna had jumped off the bed, seeing his friend's distress. He stepped in between the older two, knowing that though Hibari probably didn't have bad intentions, his actions had greatly frightened the other.

"Mukuro, it's okay." The Vongola Decimo understood completely that what Mukuro needed right now was love and patience. "It's alright; no one's going to hurt you. It's okay, Mukuro."

It took a few minutes but, soon enough, the illusionist had calmed down, his body trembling as he regarded the two smaller males with wary eyes. His voice shook as he spoke, but there was still the same trust in it that the two had come to know.

"I apologise…" Mukuro bowed his head as he lifted his hands, tugging self-consciously at the hem of his shirt. "I am not used to being touched so intimately…"

"It's okay, Mukuro." Tsuna reached up, caressing his boyfriend's cheek. "You'll get there one day. You know we won't hurt you."

Mukuro nodded. His eyes slipped closed as he moved towards Hibari, reaching out ghost his fingers against the older male's hand. "Please do not touch me again like that in such a situation… I did not realise it was you…"

Hibari nodded, knowing he should have not done such a thing – he had simply wanted to show the other that taking clothing off around others wasn't something to be embarrassed about. He understood he had been too brash about it, but he also knew not to do it again.

Tsuna was glad the older two weren't fighting again; part of him worried they may never get over their natural arch nemesis ways, but as long as it didn't get in the way of their relationship, it was something he would just have to accept.

"Guys, just let me get dressed and then we can find something to do." Tsuna moved back to his bed, grabbing the clothing he had placed there earlier. He nodded in appreciation as Mukuro quietly excused himself from the room, knowing the Mist Guardian was fragile.

Hibari moved to stand by Tsuna's side, his fingers brushing against the small of the brunet's back. He earned a shudder of excitement through his actions, a sneaky grin crossing his face as he pressed himself closer to the youngest. He nibbled at Tsuna's ear as he trailed his hands down the skinny body; having finally started indulging in sexual pleasure, it was something he found he liked very much.

"H-hibari-san…" Tsuna blushed as he pulled away, his eyes darting to the bedroom door. "What if Mukuro…?"

"He can watch if he wants…" The skylark's warm breath sent shivers down his lover's spine. "He can even join…"

Tsuna's face darkened at the thought of having their other partner with him; he was excited to think about Mukuro being with them, curious as to what it would be like to have sex with him – the blue-haired teenager was quite the gentle person when he trusted someone, so would Mukuro prefer to make love? Or would he be as rough as Hibari?

The Prefect seemed to know what his boyfriend was thinking as he moved his hand down to the younger's nether regions. Whispering into Tsuna's ear, he asked, "Can I?"

Tsuna nodded breathlessly, letting his eyes close as a warm hand closed around him. One thing soon led to another and, the next thing they knew, they were in bed together, moans and cries filling the air. One thing neither of them noticed was that, sometime during their session, heterochromatic eyes had started to watch them. They didn't stick around for long, but they did watch for a few minutes before disappearing downstairs to watch patiently for the others.

_**~~XX~~**_

It was never easy trying to coax Hibari into going somewhere there were crowds, but once Tsuna had promised to stay behind after school and help him out with the Disciplinary Committee, the skylark had reluctantly agreed. Mukuro had come with them, his mood on and off. Neither male commented on this, knowing the illusionist had been through enough.

"Ah, this one looks good, don't you think?" Tsuna held the videogame he had picked up out to Mukuro, letting mismatched eyes read the back of it.

Mukuro nodded, a smile crossing his face. "It does indeed."

Pulling his wallet from his pocket, Tsuna counted how much money he had on him. He sighed in disappointment once he realised he was short on cash, about to put the game back on the shelf before his Mist Guardian took it from his hands.

"I will buy it for you, Tsunayoshi." The taller male started heading to the registers, grabbing cash from his pocket. He kindly explained to a protesting brunet that it was okay because he _wanted _to buy it for the younger, and just a minute later he was handing the game and the receipt to Tsuna. "I will buy you whatever you want, Tsunayoshi; you just have to ask."

Tsuna blushed as he looked away, wondering where Hibari had disappeared to; knowing the skylark, he had probably gone outside to get away from the hordes of people. He slipped the game into his shoulder bag as he started walking towards the exit of the store with Mukuro, searching for the Prefect.

"Is there anywhere you want to go, Mukuro?" Tsuna moved closer to the taller male, their bodies sharing the warmth. It was no secret to outsiders that they were more than just simple friends.

"Oya?" Shaking his head, the lanky teenager smiled. "I am content going where you want, Tsunayoshi. If I may, I would appreciate it if we could stop for lunch soon, however. Will that be an inconvenience?"

"Of course not, Mukuro; we just need to get Hibari-san, and then we can find somewhere to eat. Where would you like to go?"

"Anywhere is fine, of course." The illusionist hummed to himself in contentment as they walked, quickly finding their third partner leaning against the building, waiting patiently for them. "We knew you'd be out here, Kyouya."

Hibari nodded, closing the distance between them. "I bit a herbivore to death while I was waiting."

"Oya oya, Kyouya; if you were bored enough to maul someone just for being there, you should have told us you wanted to leave." A large hand reached out, patting Hibari's side in appreciation. "We would have hurried up for you."

"Yeah, of course." Tsuna accepted the hand that that dwarfed his own, sliding it into Mukuro's grip. The older teenager's hold was warm and gentle, just like his personality – it was near unbelievable just how much of a difference a bit of love and tenderness could make in two seemingly vicious, anti-social boys.

Tsuna loved them both dearly, and he was just glad he had never given up on them, no matter what anyone else said about them. He loved them with all his being, and he would do anything he could to protect them – they were more than just his two strongest guardians, not just simple friends, but they were his partners in every sense of the word, and he couldn't have been happier about his decision to befriend them instead of spending the rest of his life fearing them.

Maybe the brunet would never know for sure, but he was almost certain that not only had he made the two older teenagers better people, had given them better lives than they would have most certainly had otherwise, but they had also helped him become a better person as well.

One thing that Tsuna _did _know was that he would _always _love these two for the happiness and feelings they had invoked in him, and he knew, deep down, he couldn't have made a better choice in partners.

**I was going to throw in a lemon, but I haven't really been in much of a lemon mood lately so I don't want to force out a half-assed scene that will probably take me forever to finish anyway. I'll give you guys the epilogue, or perhaps one last arc in TYL (whichever one I decide to use) next chapter. I had another arc planned for this timeline, but thinking about it, I decided I didn't really like how it was going to play out, and it would probably be better to start ending this fic now before it starts to drag out too much. **

**Thanks for reading, and I hope the slow-paced plot didn't throw anyone off. Apologies if it did, but it just didn't seem natural and realistic to make it any faster than what I did. **


	22. Chapter 22

The main reason why Tsuna hated having to pull all-nighters in order to get paperwork done was because he couldn't spend the night with his two beloved boyfriends. It killed him inside to have to leave them for something he didn't like _at all, _but someone had to do it, and the brunet hated asking Gokudera to do it for him.

But now that he was finished, Tsuna was free to go back and see his lovers for the morning.

The Vongola Mansion was very large, housing all of the guardians and taking several years to finish building. Due to the request – or demand, as the builders had seen it – of Hibari to have the Vongola Decimo's office connected to their own bedroom, said room was right next door with a door attached to the wall separating them; it took just half a minute for Tsuna to get up from his desk, stretch, and enter his own bedroom once again.

As expected, two bodies were curled up in the silky purple blankets of the king-sized bed. A long mane of blue hair was splayed out on the mattress as Mukuro rested on his side, his arm slung over Hibari as the skylark allowed the younger to spoon him. Their naked bodies and the dishevelled blankets were enough of an indicator as to what they had been doing before they had fallen asleep, and Tsuna couldn't help but smile; the two older men looked so peaceful when they were sleeping.

Climbing up onto the bed, Tsuna brushed hair out of their faces before he leant down, kissing their cheeks. "Mukuro… Hibari-san, wake up."

Onyx eyes opened quickly, the raven leaning into the hand that was now caressing his face. He looked over as he felt a warm face nuzzle in against his hair, heterochromatic eyes flickering as their owner bordered between being awake and remaining asleep.

"Herbivore." Hibari elbowed the long-haired man carefully, finally jerking the younger out of sleep. "Get up, herbivore."

Mukuro made a displeased noise before he sat up, leaning over to kiss his older lover. "Good morning, Kyouya. How was your sleep?"

Hibari nodded in response before he pointed to Tsuna, his dark eyes flickering between the two. "Ask him, too."

"Oya?" Mukuro turned around, his eyes shining brightly at the sight of Tsuna. He reached out, tugging the smaller man down so that he could press their lips together. Their tongues joined a dance before they broke away for air, a genuine smile on the illusionist's face. "Good morning, Tsunayoshi. Did you get all your work done?"

"Yes, Mukuro." The Sky Guardian sat down on the bed, letting himself be pulled onto his Mist Guardian's lap. Hibari sat up as well, kissing the brunet; he had never liked to be left out, after all.

Mukuro truly was a huge contrast to Hibari, Tsuna knew; he had often been asked how he could be with two people with completely different personalities who often conflicted dangerously. Tsuna wasn't sure himself, but even though Hibari could be rough at times, he knew how to be gentle and loving as well when the occasion called for it. And Mukuro was a kitten, the brunet couldn't help but think; the tallest male was such a gentle person, absolutely _harmless _to Tsuna, and loved nothing more than being given the love he gave daily to Tsuna and Hibari back.

"Ah, I was talking to Gokudera-kun last night." Tsuna reached up, brushing blue strands of hair out of heterochromatic eyes. "Everyone wants to go swimming at lunch. Will you both be joining us?"

"I will watch." Hibari climbed out of the bed, moving to prepare himself for his day ahead. He let the younger two be together, more concerned about getting ready than he was with anything else; having a shower was the only thing on his mind.

"Ah, I might just watch as well." The illusionist sent a soft smile to Tsuna, hugging him tighter.

"Whatever you're comfortable with, Mukuro." Tsuna knew that, in the ten years they had been together, the Mist Guardian was really getting better; he had overcome his trauma and depression, though it had been a long, tiring battle – one he had almost lost several times – and now, the man was back to his playful, happy self. Gokudera had often complained of the other playing pranks on him, and though Tsuna scolded Mukuro, he couldn't help but be amused himself when given the details of what had occurred; the illusionist was a prankster, and a rather good one at that. All that was left was for him to beat his hydrophobia, and Tsuna had faith he could do it. "How was last night? Did you enjoy it?"

Mukuro nodded. "Very much so, Tsunayoshi. It felt very good."

"That's great." The brunet smiled brightly as he kissed his lover once more, just glad that, with the other's illnesses out of the way, the blue-haired man was starting to function well in sexual relationships; neither of them ever asked Mukuro for sex, knowing the tallest would come to them when he wanted it. While it was rare for him to ask for such a thing, Tsuna didn't think there was a gentler lover out there. The man had really even only just started to masturbate, but because he still had a way to go, Tsuna and Hibari always gave him privacy whenever the other felt the need to pleasure himself.

"I let Kyouya take me last night." Mukuro sent a proud smile down at his second lover, happy with his efforts; he was predominantly the top in their relationships, but every now and then, he liked to let the smaller men take him – to him, it was a show of the love and trust he had in them, and proof that he had come so far from where he had been only a few years ago. "It was very good."

Tsuna blushed as he nodded, not sure he could love his two older partners more than he already did; they both made him so happy, he could almost burst.

_**~~XX~~**_

With a pool just out the back of the mansion, it wasn't uncommon for the guardians to take breaks and go swimming, especially with the weather warming up. The only one who had never so much as soaked a toe in the water was Mukuro, who wouldn't even go _near _it without someone by his side.

Today, however, he was standing by the edge of the pool as most of the other guardians splashed around and had fun. He looked back at Kyouya who was seated on one of the deck chairs, a book in his lap. The other was very content with what he was doing, mostly blocking the external stimuli out.

"Mukuro!"

Mukuro turned around at Tsuna's voice, finding the other swimming up to him with a happy expression on his face. Leaning down, the man asked, "Yes, Tsunayoshi?"

"Are you sure you won't come in?" The brunet held such an innocent expression, it made the illusionist's heart melt with affection. "The water's just perfect."

"Oya… I am sure, Tsunayoshi. Maybe another time."

Tsuna nodded, continuing to talk happily with his boyfriend. The two took no notice of Fran, not when he climbed out of the pool, nor when he started sneaking up behind his Master. They just continued to talk, the teal-haired teenager's aura mischievous.

Fran waited until they were both distracted and completely unaware of his existence before he put all his weight into a tackle, sending his teacher flying into the pool. Mukuro thrashed in the water for a few seconds before he managed to grab hold of the edge, making a hasty retreat in a manner that _greatly _resembled a cat trying to escape bath time.

Mismatched eyes glared at Fran as Mukuro tried to get his wet clothes off him, the tallest man greatly annoyed with his charge. "Little one, do you not have respect for your elders?"

"Ah, but Master, you dislike water so much, you avoid it at all costs," the younger said, his tone sarcastic. "I just thought you needed a _push _to face your fears."

"I did not need a _literal _push, thank you very much, Fran." Mukuro sighed as he dropped his coat to the ground, sensing Hibari stalking up to them. The older male helped get the saturated clothing from the scrawny body, knowing it would make the other uncomfortable to remain in it, before he turned an irritated glance to the younger illusionist who was quickly trying to tiptoe away from the scene.

"I will bite you to death for touching what is mine, herbivore." Hibari pulled his tonfa out from his jacket, chasing after the now-fleeing apprentice. Fran wasn't stupid; he knew the Cloud Guardian would have reacted this way, but sometimes it got boring seeing everyone – mostly – getting along, and he wanted some entertainment; the teenager could be a _really _sadistic brat when he wanted to be.

Tsuna cleared his throat as he watched the two males run back into the mansion before he turned to Mukuro. He got out of the pool and picked up the abandoned clothing, the older male walking by his side as they returned to the building.

"Are you really going to leave Fran alone with an irate Hibari?" Tsuna knew how much the illusionist loved his charge – that was the reason Fran was still living with them after all – so it was unusual to see the teenager's teacher leaving him like this.

"Kufufu~" Heterochromatic eyes shone with amusement. "If he really wants to survive, he'll use his illusions. It's all in good training, Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna smiled shyly as he nodded; Mukuro could be just as sadistic as Fran was, and the Sky Guardian often wondered; out of Mukuro and Reborn, which one of them had the most insane teaching methods? Sometimes it was hard to tell.


End file.
